


Deadly Commoners' Game

by Reidluver



Category: Jumanji (1995), Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Crossover, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, blood and gore and danger, not your typical Ouran story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-02
Updated: 2012-07-08
Packaged: 2017-11-09 01:37:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/449815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reidluver/pseuds/Reidluver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an effort to understand more of a commoner's lifestyle, Tamaki invites the Host Club members to the school to play an old board game that he found. Too bad this game fights back . . .</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No Ordinary Game

**Author's Note:**

> An unusual choice for a crossover I know—but trust me it works.

The setting sun cast a warm glow into Music Room Three. It was late in the afternoon on a Saturday, when Ouran was typically devoid of life. However, on this particular Saturday—

"Why are we _here?_ " the twins whined. They were sitting on the couch, adorned in jeans and a blue, long-sleeved shirt with a purple vest. "We were just about to beat the twelfth level of our newest video game."

"I was going to make dinner," Haruhi mumbled. She smoothed out a crease in her pink, frilly shirt and sighed. Weekends were the only time she had any freedom from the Host club. The twins had come to her house a few minutes ago and "kidnapped" her _(again),_ saying that Tamaki had called an emergency meeting at the school. Being who he was, it was no problem to get them into the school after hours.

Pushing that irritant aside, Haruhi was frustrated at having been caught in such "girly" clothes. She never cared about what she wore, seeing as how she felt worrying about such superficial things were a load of rubbish. However—she didn't feel comfortable with the way some of the boys acted around her when she wore feminine clothes. Mainly Tamaki. It was as if wearing them reminded all the boys that she was, in fact, a girl and they suddenly had to act different.

Well, it wasn't too different from the way they always treated her—in fact, there wasn't any difference at all, really. It's just that whenever Tamaki gave her this certain look, it always made her feel hot and clammy and nervous. Like she was sick or something. Why was that?

"We were sparring at our dojo!" Honey exclaimed, disrupting her train of thought.

"And you found the time to change?" Haruhi asked, pointing to their apparel. Honey had brown pants and a white collared shirt, while Mori had deep navy jeans with a striped, blue unbuttoned shirt with a white tank top underneath.

Honey just smiled. "Why not?" Haruhi simply sighed. _Damn rich people! They care so much about their appearances._ She turned her attention to the last member of the group.

"And what were you doing, Kyoya-senpai?"

The boy in question pushed up his glasses and emitted an evil, dark aura at everyone. "I was resting," he growled. His hair was tousled and the green polo underneath his jacket was rumpled.

"Looks like you had a _nap,_ " Hikaru teased, slinging an arm around Kyoya's neck.

"Probably explains why he's so grouchy," Kaoru added, doing the same on the opposite side of Hikaru.

"Isn't that _adorable?_ " the two of them cooed, pinching Kyoya's cheek.

"Get. Off." Kyoya shoved them off forcefully and tried to regain his composure. He smoothed his hair back and straightened his shirt. "Tamaki pulled me out of bed and drove me here, saying it was an emergency. And then he left, saying he had to go prepare something for us."

"What I'd like to know is why we had to come _here_ to hear or see whatever it is," Hikaru said. The twins had resumed their place on the couch.

"It's probably something really stupid," Kaoru said. "Our lord most likely has another 'brilliant' plan—"

"Hey guys!" They all turned their attention towards the prep room. Tamaki was standing before them, clad in some sort of safari clothing, complete with a hat. In his left hand he was holding some sort of thin, ornate box. "Thank you all for coming here."

"What's all this about, boss?" the twins asked.

Tamaki chuckled. "Why—I'm so glad you asked! I asked you all here . . . to play a commoners' game!" With great flourish, he held out the box for everyone to see.

" _. . . Jumanji?_ "

"Isn't it great? I recently bought this box full of old French antiques, and it had this in it! So beautiful, isn't it? The game was practically calling to me!" His voice dropped to a whisper and he leaned in close. "I could _swear_ I heard drums from it!"

The six other Host members sighed collectively. "That's not even possible, my lord," the twins said.

"Commoners wouldn't be able to make something as advanced as that," Kyoya pointed out. Haruhi glared at him as he adjusted his glasses.

"Why couldn't we play this at your place, Tama-chan?" Honey asked. "Why bother coming to the school?"

"Because we could come here and dress up!" Tamaki protested, pointing to his get-up.

"Not gonna happen," they all protested.

Before Tamaki could respond, Kyoya spoke up. "Are you sure this was among French antiques?" He had opened the game and was glancing over the instructions.

Tamaki folded his arms with a huff. "Of course I am! Why do you ask?"

Kyoya sighed. "Because these instructions are written in English."

"Really?" Everyone leaned in closer. Despite not being one to enjoy board games, Haruhi was impressed. It was beautiful in its own way, looking to be carved by hand.

"Well, it sure looks like an antique," Hikaru said, examining the dice. The white had long since grown yellow and the edges were worn.

" _A game for those who seek to find a way to leave their world behind . . . Adventurers beware. Do not begin unless you intend to finish. The consequences of the game vanish only when a player has reached Jumanji and called out its name,_ " Kyoya read.

"Sounds rather foreboding for a simple board game," Haruhi said. For some reason, the warning gave her the creeps.

"Who cares?" Honey said, smiling broadly. "It sounds fun! Let's play!"

"Why not?" Hikaru sighed.

"We're already here," Kaoru finished.

"There are four pieces," Kyoya said. "We'll need to—"

"Don't worry!" Tamaki pulled Haruhi towards him. "Haruhi will play with Daddy, Mommy can be alone, Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai can be together, and then the twins can be on the last team!"

"Hold on! Why do you get to be with Haruhi, boss?" the twins said.

"Because it's only natural for a daughter to want to be on a team with her Daddy!"

"But that's not—"

"Can't we just play?" Haruhi interrupted, her patience too thin to deal with an argument at the moment. The twins looked slightly put out while Tamaki looked ready to burst into tears of joy.

"So you _do_ want to play with me!" He tried to hug her but Haruhi held out a hand.

"Not really, senpai. I just want to get this game over with so I can go home and finish dinner," she replied in her deadpan voice. Tamaki clutched his heart while the twins broke into laughter at his expense.

Kyoya picked up the four playing pieces and held them over the board. "It seems we place them—" Suddenly the pieces fell out of his hands and zoomed into the four corners as if by magic. All the Host Club members stared at the board in shock.

"Rather high-tech for a commoner's game," Kaoru said. He reached out to try and pick one up but it wouldn't budge. "What the hell?" He tried harder but was unable to make it move an inch.

"It's probably using some type of magnetic force," Kyoya said. "You might break it, so please stop struggling."

"But how are we supposed to move the pieces?"

"Let's just see what happens," Tamaki said. "We call the white rhino!"

"Monkey!" the twins said.

"Black elephant!" Honey giggled.

"Well then, I guess that leaves me with the alligator," Kyoya said.

"Let's go first, Haruhi!" Tamaki said. He handed her the dice. "Do you want to roll first?" Haruhi shrugged.

"You can do it, senpai."

"Here goes!" Tamaki dramatically shook the old dice in his hands and then let go. "Five." Suddenly, the white rhino started moving on its own, slowly moving forward five spaces.

"That's pretty advanced for such an old game," Haruhi said.

"I agree. The dice are most likely weighted, with sensors in them to tell the game which side it landed on," Kyoya mused.

"There's something written in the middle!" Everyone leaned in close as the words magically appeared.

" _This will not be an easy mission,_ " Tamaki read, stumbling a little over the English. " _Monkeys slow the expedition._ "

"So what, does that mean you go back a few spaces?" Hikaru asked. Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the prep room, followed by the unmistakable shriek of a monkey. Wordlessly, the Host Club rushed towards the room and threw open the door. To their amazement, there were an odd number of red monkeys running about, making an entire mess of things. They tore the costumes that had been stored away for safe-keeping, knocked over the chairs, and broke the light bulbs.

"Get out of here!" Tamaki yelled, swatting them away. All the monkeys turned to face him before pouncing in one swift motion. They pulled at his hair and his clothes while chattering away. Hikaru and Kaoru were besides themselves with laughter as the rest ran forward to help him. It wasn't an easy task. The monkeys were very upset about being disrupted from their fun and started attacking everyone else.

"AHHHHHH! They're everywhere!" Haruhi yelled, covering her head.

Mori grabbed the one tugging at his hair and glared at it. The creature wilted from the look and whimpered an apology. The senior smiled and glanced up towards the others. "STOP!" he yelled. All the monkeys immediately froze at the sound of Mori's voice.

"Be nice." After a moment they all calmed down and even started hugging the Host they had been previously traumatizing.

"They're actually pretty cute!" Honey said, hugging two of them and swinging them around.

"I guess so," Haruhi said. One of them nuzzled her cheek and she was unable to keep herself from giggling. Hikaru and Kaoru rushed forward and started playing with a monkey of their own.

"Wow, boss! I can't believe you really went this far!" the twins laughed.

Tamaki paused scratching a monkey behind its ear. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Come on, you obviously played this game before and figured out all the plays."

"Then you went and rented these monkeys to make the game more authentic."

"No, I didn't!" Tamaki said. "I swear I've never played this game before! The monkeys must have come out of the game!"

The twins laughed. "What—do you honestly believe that? It's impossible!"

"It's a pretty cool trick though," Honey said. "These guys are cute." The two monkeys with him chattered in agreement.

"Shall we return to the game?" Kyoya suggested, idly petting the head of the monkey on his arm.

"But I swear I didn't plan this!" Tamaki protested. All of the others ignored him and walked over to the game, except for Haruhi. As silly as Tamaki was, it really seemed like he was telling the truth. Yet perhaps he just wanted to give everyone a good time and he thought by denying it things would be more interesting.

Haruhi gave him a big smile. "How about we just go and join everyone?" All protesting thoughts were immediately erased from Tamaki's mind and he boldly agreed.

"So, I suppose it's my turn then?" Kyoya rolled the dice and the alligator moved four spaces.

"I wonder what else will come, eh, Tono?" Hikaru teased, lightly jabbing him.

Tamaki folded his arms with a huff. "If you're not going to believe me then fine! Just wait until something scary comes out! Then you'll be sorry."

"Sure. Whatever." Hikaru and Kaoru rolled their eyes.

" _At night they fly, you better run, these winged things are not much_ _fun,_ " Kyoya read.

"What do you think that means?" There was another crash from the prep room, followed by the fluttering of wings.

"I guess we're about to find out."

With a loud screech, an army of bats swooped in and encircled them. Then they started attacking without warning. Everyone screamed and covered their heads. Mori tried swatting them away, but they were too fast. The monkeys then leapt off their respective Host Club member and chased after the bats, shrieking along with them.

"Wow—they're fighting them off!" Honey said. He gazed at the monkeys with wonder.

"Someone open the doors!" Tamaki ordered.

The twins rushed towards the main door and yanked them open, just in time. Once the last bat and monkey passed through the door Hikaru and Kaoru slammed them shut.

"Man, that was so cool!"

"Boss, you're doing a great job at keeping this game interesting!"

Tamaki looked affronted. "How many times do I have to keep telling you? I'm not doing this! I swear!"

"I think he's telling the truth, guys," Haruhi said. She stood up beside Tamaki. "Think about it, he's been with us the whole time. How could he release the bats and monkeys from over here at the exact same time the game mentions them? There is no way Tamaki-sempai is able to do something like this."

"So does that mean that they're really coming out of the game?" Honey asked. He clutched Usa-chan in fear of the thought.

"Well . . . I-I don't know about that," Haruhi said quickly, "but there's most likely someone playing a trick on us or something."

Kyoya adjusted his glasses and said, "Haruhi is right. If it's not Tamaki, then there is most likely someone else letting all the animals loose and trying to scare us."

"You sure it's not the game?" Honey and Tamaki whispered.

Kyoya nodded. "It's scientifically impossible for anything—much less animals—to come out of a game. This is a simple board game made by commoners."

"I agree with Kyoya," Tamaki began, "and I think that we should look for those responsible before continuing any further—"

"Too late!" the twins laughed. Hikaru snatched up the dice and rolled, causing the monkey piece to go forward three spaces.

"You idiots!" Tamaki yelled, grabbing the twins by their collars. "What if something dangerous is rolled?"

"Relax, boss," the twins sighed. "Where would the people playing a trick on us be able to keep anything too dangerous?"

" _His fangs are sharp, he likes your taste, your party better move post haste._ " Everyone was silent for a few moments, all of them dreading the implications of that comment.

"See?" Hikaru said. "Nothing has come, s-so there's no need to—" There was a low growl by the couch behind them and they all froze, hardly daring it was possible. Only when the growl became a resounding roar did they turn around.

Slowly emerging from behind the couch was a massive lion, his shiny coat gleaming in the afternoon sun. His legs were wide and bulky, just perfect for pouncing on unsuspecting prey, and when he roared they could see each sharp tooth, just the right size for ripping a person to shreds.

"D-D-Don't move," Tamaki whispered. "M-Maybe he's friendly? Like a t-tame lion?" The lion squashed that hope by jumping through the air towards them. The Host Club members screamed in fright and ran away. Mori and Honey flipped out of the way, and once they landed, nodded at each other and charged towards the lion.

Honey leapt into the air to deliver a spinning kick, but the lion simply swiped a paw almost as big as Honey and sent him flying. It was all he could do to prevent himself from being scratched.

"Mitskuni!" Furious, Mori tried to charge head-on, but the lion seemed to be more adept at fighting, as if it had years of experience. It plowed its head into Mori's chest and sent him flying into one of the walls. Then the lion jumped in front of the main doors. Those trying to escape skid to a halt and ran in different directions.

"Wait!" Tamaki yelled. "We have to stay together!" The lion surveyed the three different groups before choosing his prey. Within seconds, Kyoya was trapped in one of the corners with no way out.

" _KYOYA!_ " The normally calm and collected Shadow King stared at the lion in absolute terror. His breaths came out in short, wheezing gasps and beads of sweat trailed down his face. He pushed himself into the corner so tightly it looked like he was trying to mold with it. Kyoya's legs shook so fast it was a wonder he was standing up at all. Whether he was scared from the lion standing before him or the proof that the game most likely was alive, Kyoya only knew one thing—

There was a good chance he was going to die.

Something snapped and Kyoya suddenly remembered the new policy his guards had enacted a week ago, in response to a recent kidnapping on the news. At that moment the lion started to charge, and Kyoya reached into an inside pocket of his jacket.

Everyone watched in shock as Kyoya withdrew a pistol from his jacket and started firing. His face was scrunched up with a mixture of terror and anger, and he yelled incoherently. He fired shot after shot at the lion, even after it was obviously dead. Once he was out of rounds, Kyoya gasped and fell to his knees as he dry heaved.

"Kyoya!"

"Kyoya-senpai!"

"Kyo-chan!"

They all rushed to his side. Tamaki immediately knelt and placed his hands on the frightened boy's shoulders. "Kyoya, listen to me! Snap out of it!" Kyoya slowly lifted his head and locked gazes with Tamaki. The Host King's heart clenched at the raw fear in Kyoya's eyes, it shining brightly behind his rare tears.

"Why don't you give that to me?" Tamaki asked gently, trying to pry the empty gun out of Kyoya's hands. The dark-haired boy resisted for a moment, then gave it up. Tamaki quickly tossed it off to the side and threw his arms around Kyoya, rubbing small circles into his back. "It's all right," he whispered. Tamaki himself was still in shock. For a moment there, it really looked like his best friend was about to die. Kyoya was the first friend he had made in Japan, and one could argue that he was the first real friend he ever made. Because of his mother's sickness, Tamaki only had enough time for acquaintances instead of actual friends.

Despite the rather rough start they had, Tamaki just knew that Kyoya was the perfect friend. He couldn't explain why he knew—he just did. It was the same with the other Host Club members. Tamaki somehow knew that each of them were special, that they were all suffering as he was and just needed a good friend. Having to be faced with the fact that one of them was going to die hurt Tamaki more than anything. He silently cursed himself for bringing this horrible game and forcing it upon them all.

Kyoya's mind was still numb, but he was slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. He could tell that Tamaki was hugging him, and while he would normally shove him off in disgust, this time he welcomed it. His body was still recovering from the shock of almost becoming a lion's next meal. Kyoya embraced Tamaki back just as tightly, once again grateful to be blessed with a friend like him _(not that he'd ever admit it)_.

"I-I'm okay," Kyoya said. Tamaki let go and then offered a warm smile, which Kyoya returned.

"Kyo-chan!" Honey rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Kyoya's neck as tears fell down his face. "I was so worried!"

"Thanks, but I'm all better now, honest." The small senior let go and nodded, wiping the tears as he did so. The twins then stepped forward, looking more ashamed than they ever had in their entire life.

"We're so sorry!" they cried, now taking their turn to pounce on Kyoya.

"I'm so sorry for rolling the lion!"

"And I'm sorry for thinking this was a joke!"

Ordinarily, Kyoya would be rather annoyed with them as well, but he could tell they felt guilty about something out of their control, so he might as well humor them. So instead of glaring at them, Kyoya just patted their heads.

"I don't blame you." Now Haruhi stepped forward.

"Are you really all right, Kyoya-senpai?"

Really, how many times did he need to say it? Kyoya's patience was running thin. "I told you, there's no reason to worry."

Haruhi nodded. It apparently was good enough for her. "So, why did you have a gun anyway?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah—my guards believed that it would be wise for me to walk around with extra protection, just in case I found myself in a compromising situation and they aren't able to help." Kyoya glanced towards the gun contemplatively. "I'm starting to think they deserve a little bonus with their next paycheck."

"Well, that's something you don't see every day," Hikaru said.

"Kyoya-sempai actually _giving_ money away like that," Kaoru added.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "I assure you that it only goes to people who deserve it."

"Let's bring you over to the couch so you'll be more comfortable," Tamaki said. He held out a hand for Kyoya. The boy took it gratefully and stood. Kyoya took a step forward but stumbled, his legs still a little wobbly. Mori and Tamaki quickly grabbed an arm and guided him towards the couch. Kyoya couldn't help but notice Mori's grip was tighter than it needed to be, and the senior looked at him in concern. He said nothing, but Kyoya was touched by his consideration all the same.

"I'll put the game away!" Honey announced happily, running towards the fallen board. He picked up the scattered dice and threw them onto the game board and closed it up. While he was doing that, the twins and Haruhi adjusted the furniture that had been knocked over. Once the room looked normal _(other than the dead lion in the other corner)_ they all sat down in exhaustion.

"I can't believe these things are actually coming out of the game," Tamaki said softly, glancing at the board. They all eyed it with fear.

"But how can something like that even be possible?" Haruhi asked. "There has to be a logical explanation for this. You sure it's not just someone playing a joke on us?" She ignored the feeling in her chest. Usually she listened to her gut feeling, but there was no way it could be right this time, right? It had to be affected by fear. There was no way what Tamaki had suggested was true.

Kyoya opened his mouth, but before he could speak there was a loud buzzing noise, like a swarm of wasps. They all whipped around and stared in horror at the sight of six or so enormous bugs heading their way. In one motion they all ducked down, causing the insects to pass them by.

"Did someone roll?" Kaoru yelled.

Honey gasped and ran towards the game. He yanked it open and stared in shock at the elephant piece. "I should have been more careful the way I threw the dice in!" Tears welled up in his eyes and he hugged Usa-chan so tightly it looked like the bunny would pop. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right, Honey-senpai," Haruhi said kindly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We'll just have to deal with them," Mori said. He grabbed a chair leg and snapped it off, ending with an oddly shaped club. He then took off another one and tossed it to Honey. "I'll need your help, Mitskuni."

"Got it." Honey's eyes narrowed and he tossed Usa-chan onto the couch where he'd be safe. Haruhi was amazed at how he was able to transform from the sobbing child into a hardened warrior in a manner of seconds.

"Here they come!" Hikaru cried. Everyone tensed as the mosquitoes positioned themselves for another attack.


	2. It Becomes Too Much

The next few minutes were a blur. As Mori and Honey tried their best to kill all the mosquitoes, all the others did their best to dodge them. At one point the twins were able to confuse two of the insects and cause them to slam into each other, giving Honey an opportunity to kill them while they were dazed. Tamaki and Kyoya were doing fine, who despite their thin physique were adept enough at running to be fine.

Haruhi was the only one who had trouble. She wasn't out of shape, but she wasn't an athlete either. Due to her experience with her father and Tamaki, she was rather skilled at dodging, but her running ability was not to be desired. Or her balance for that matter. The girl tried to turn too quickly and slipped, falling flat on her face. She could hear a mosquito right behind her, and in her haste to get away, slipped again.

She spun around and stared up at the large bug flying above her, ready to strike. Haruhi tried to scramble away, but she knew there was no hope. As the mosquito charged, someone grasped her arm _(rather painfully)_ and threw her out of the way. The floor came up to meet her for the third time and she grunted in pain.

"Are you all ri—" Her attention snapped up at the sound of Mori's deep voice and she immediately regretted it.

Mori's eyes were wide in shock at the large insect that was piercing his chest. The mosquito immediately began sucking his blood with a horrible squelching sound. Mori gave out a small cry of pain, and then in one motion, stabbed the insect through the thorax and yanked it out of his stomach. The dead mosquito slammed to the floor and the blood it sucked from Mori slowly oozed through the stab wound onto the tile.

"TAKASHI!"

The boy collapsed onto the ground, clutching his chest. As everyone rushed to his side, Mori began to twitch violently and he succumbed to an uncontrollable fit of sneezing and wheezing. Honey was the first to reach him and the tears fell freely down his face as he grasped Mori's hand.

"Takashi—what's wrong?" Honey wailed. Unable to answer, Mori continued to sneeze and then started to scratch his chest furiously as if his life depended on it. His face was scrunched up in pain and everyone else felt completely helpless.

"You have to stop scratching!" Honey ordered. He grabbed Takashi's other hand and struggled against the delirious boy's strength. It killed Honey to see Takashi like this, especially since rolling the mosquitoes was his fault. Even though Takashi was the one who was supposed to be protecting him, Honey took on the duty of watching out for Takashi, seeing as how Takashi never did. He always put Honey first before himself, and as such the small blond had to periodically remind Mori that by neglecting his own well-being it hurt him.

The two had been together since birth—literally. As soon as Takashi was born he was placed at Honey's side and they spent their whole lives that way. Seeing Takashi sprawled out on the floor in pain made Honey both furious and worried. He was angry that there was nothing he could do. The blond's impressive fighting ability was no good here. Honey hated feeling so helpless.

Haruhi knelt opposite from Honey and she grabbed Mori's arm as well to try and prevent him from scratching. Her mind had gone blank. Through the haze of her thoughts, she was aware of someone screaming Mori's name along with Honey and it sounded like her. Yet all she could think about was how close she had been to being the one bit by the mosquito.

Guilt overwhelmed her like an oppressive wave. Curse her slow reflexes! If only she moved a bit quicker, Mori wouldn't have had to put himself in danger to protect her. The tall, silent senior had always looked out for her, but so far it had always been for silly things, like getting out of Tamaki's hugs and such. Never like this.

And then Haruhi felt anger. Anger at Mori for protecting her and getting hurt himself. She hated seeing those she cared about get hurt. Haruhi much rather preferred that she get injured instead, so others wouldn't have to suffer.

"We have to get him to a hospital!" Tamaki cried, running around in circles. "He's going to—"

"Calm down!" Kyoya yelled. He grabbed Tamaki's arm and glared at him. "You need to keep a level head here! Just look at everyone else!" Tamaki obeyed and glanced at the other club members. Honey and Haruhi were trying to stop Mori from scratching himself, while Hikaru and Kaoru knelt nearby, completely frozen in fear as they latched onto each other for comfort, the only way they knew how.

"You need to roll the dice!" Kyoya said. "It's your turn!"

"Are you crazy?" Tamaki exclaimed. "Who cares about the game? Mori-senpai is going to die—"

"No, he's not!" Kyoya pointed to the game board. " _A tiny bite can make you itch, make you sneeze, make you twitch_. It says nothing about the bite being lethal."

"But it wasn't a tiny bite! That thing was humongous!"

"Who cares how big it was? Mori-senpai killed it quickly. He's having a violent reaction but that doesn't mean he's going to die. The best we can do for him right now is try and finish the game so he will go back to normal. There's a high chance the hospital won't be able to do much for him anyway." Tamaki looked back towards the group in worry before he nodded and rushed towards the game. Kyoya followed and tried to keep his breathing under control.

Despite what he said to Tamaki, Kyoya was worried as well. He may distance himself from the others, but they all still meant a lot to him. And he sympathized with Mori the most, since he wasn't as obnoxious as all the others. The two of them were able to figure things out quicker than the rest, and as such formed a silent bond. Kyoya prayed that his strategy would work.

Tamaki rolled the dice and waited impatiently as the piece moved. Then the two of them leaned in to read what the game said.

" _There is a lesson you will learn, sometimes you must go back a turn._ " Kyoya and Tamaki stared at each other, hardly believing that such a convenient thing was possible. They quickly rushed back to the group and watched.

"Look!" Tamaki yelled, directing everyone's attention to the fallen mosquitoes. The room suddenly became silent except for the sound of Mori's thrashing, and they stared in shock as the dead insects slowly dissipated in the air. As soon as they were all gone, they turned their attention back to Mori, whose movements were slowing down.

He stopped twitching and trying to scratch the bite as his sneezes grew progressively quieter. Once he stopped sneezing he went completely still and the others watched in fascination as the blood on his undershirt disappeared and the hole in the material re-stitched itself.

They all held their breath as they waited for him to awaken. Each second felt like a minute. Thankfully, Mori's eyes opened and he stared at all of them in confusion.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse. Everyone let out the breath they had been holding. Honey, the twins, and Tamaki pounced on him, all talking at once. Kyoya watched on in relief, resisting the urge to collapse in a chair. He had to make up for his behavior earlier, after all. Haruhi smiled weakly, still recovering from the adrenaline rush.

Once everyone had calmed down, Kyoya explained how Tamaki's roll had negated the effects of Honey's turn. Then he urgently reminded everyone they had to finish the game so they could all go home and that hopefully everything else would go back to normal. A dead lion was going to be a hard thing to explain, as well as the rampaging bats and monkeys.

"I'm so sorry for rolling the mosquitoes, Takashi," Honey whispered. He had his arms wrapped around Mori's waist and his face buried into his shirt. Mori smiled and hugged Honey back.

"It's fine."

Haruhi stepped forward sheepishly. "Um . . . thanks for saving me. I should have gotten out of the way—"

Mori shook his head and patted Haruhi on hers. "It's not your fault," he said quietly. He said nothing else but Haruhi could see that he was pleading with her not to blame herself, and Haruhi smiled.

"Thanks." They joined everyone else by the board game.

"Are you sure we _have_ to finish the game?" Hikaru asked.

"The instructions say it's the only way everything will go back to normal," Kyoya said. He grabbed the dice.

"Hold on!" Kaoru said, grasping Kyoya's arm. "Just think about it—so far the only thing that's come out are the monkeys, bats, the lion you killed, and the mosquitoes. Since Tamaki-senpai got rid of the mosquitoes, everything is fine! We can get rid of the dead lion, no one will care about the bats, and we can capture the monkeys and bring them to the zoo."

"They're right!" Honey said. "There's no reason to finish the game. We can just destroy it. There's no telling what other horrible things will come out."

The others nodded along and Kyoya pondered over the suggestion. "You're right. There's no reason to continue." Suddenly a car alarm went off outside _(most likely courtesy of the monkeys)_ and startled Kyoya. The dice fell from his hands and landed on the game.

"Look!" Tamaki shouted. He pointed to the board and everyone stared in horror. Kyoya's piece was moving!

"But I didn't mean to roll!"

"The game thought you did," Haruhi said. The uncomfortable tightness in her stomach returned.

"But that doesn't make _sense!_ " Kyoya gripped the side of the coffee table and struggled to remain calm. He had a bad feeling about this. "How can a game think—"

"Shhh! Look at what it says," Kaoru said. They all leaned in and watched the letters appear.

" _They grow much faster than bamboo_ ," Kyoya read. " _Take care or they'll come after you._ "

"What grows faster than bamboo?" Tamaki wondered aloud.

"That!" Haruhi said, pointing to the wall. Everyone gasped as vines grew out of the cement and floor. They watched in morbid fascination as the vines grew an inch a second, smothering everything in their path. One wrapped itself around the chandelier, transforming it into an enormous hanging plant. The seven of them moved closer together.

"Well—looks like we have our next theme already decided for us, huh?" Hikaru chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, jungle," Kaoru said.

"This is great!" Tamaki said. "Now we don't have to pay for decorations. I-Isn't that great, Kyoya?"

"I . . . suppose."

"But what about the second part?" Honey asked. He hugged Usa-chan tightly. "It didn't sound very nice."

Tamaki patted Honey's shoulder like one would to a toddler. "There's no reason to worry, Honey-senpai! They don't look very threatening—"

Something shot towards them and before they could react it wrapped itself around Tamaki's torso, leaving his hands free but nearly choking him. Tamaki gasped and tried to pull it away from his neck.

"Tamaki!" Before they could grab him, he was pulled forward, knocking over the table in the process. Kyoya and Mori leapt after him, each grabbing a leg. They were dragged along with him for a moment until Mori pulled himself up and leaned back. The three of them stopped and Kyoya knelt and leaned back as well.

"You're choking him!" the twins yelled. Because of the way the vine was wrapped around him, the tug-of-war game they were currently engaged in was wrapping the vine tighter around Tamaki's neck and his face was turning blue.

Hikaru and Kaoru rushed forward and stood in front of Tamaki. They grabbed the vine and pulled, giving some slack in the plant so Tamaki could breathe easier.

"Stay there! I'll cut it!" Honey yelled. The boy ran forward, ready to judo-chop the vine. As he raised his arm, another vine shot out and swatted him away.

"Mitskuni!" None of them had any time to worry about Honey though, because at that moment the thing grabbing Tamaki made itself known. The door leading into the prep room was thrown off its hinges as an enormous, yellow flower plowed its way through. It was taller than Mori and three times as wide. The twins screamed in fright and everyone's grip slackened from shock. Only when Tamaki started moving forward did they regain their senses.

"Hurry up, Honey-senpai!"

"Got it!" he yelled, jumping in for another try. But that was proving to be more difficult than any of them originally thought. The apparently carnivorous flower was fighting back, causing vines to shoot out at Honey like whips. The judo master was doing fine, dodging and snapping the vines with ease, but there as an endless supply of them and Honey was no closer to helping Tamaki.

"What is it? What's going on?" Tamaki asked. He leaned his head back and looked through Hikaru's legs. His eyes widened as he screamed.

"I DON'T WANT TO GET EATEN BY A FLOWER!" Tamaki frantically tried to untangle himself.

"Stop moving!" Mori yelled, trying to hold onto the blond's flailing legs.

"You'll get eaten for sure if you don't keep still!" Kyoya shouted.

Tamaki immediately shut up and did his best not to move. The plant must have been very strong if Kyoya and Mori were having such a hard time. That being said, their grip was really starting to hurt.

In an effort to distract himself, Tamaki looked at Haruhi. She was staring at him in fear, looking like she hadn't moved an inch since he was taken. Despite the eminent fear of being eaten by a plant, Tamaki's chest filled with happiness at having his wonderful daughter so concerned over his well-being.

But she looked so scared. Tamaki smiled weakly at her, trying to tell her not to worry. Everyone else was working hard to save him. He knew he was in good hands.

Haruhi didn't know why she couldn't do anything. Why she couldn't move. Mori and Kyoya were holding Tamaki back, Hikaru and Kaoru were preventing him from choking, and Honey was fighting to try and cut the vine. All she could do was stare at them while horrifying visions of a dead Tamaki paralyzed her. She had to do something!

At one point he turned to her and their eyes locked. When he smiled at her, something erupted in her chest. Haruhi could feel the adrenaline and courage flood her veins and she knew there had to be something she could do. Everyone else was trying so hard—why not her? She was a member of the Host Club, wasn't she?

Haruhi thrust her hands into her pockets and pulled out her phone _(courtesy of the twins)_ and wallet. She ran forward, ignoring everyone's yells at her to stay back. She pulled back the hand that had her phone and with a tremendous burst of strength, threw the phone at the flower.

By some miracle—for it surely had to be a miracle—the phone sailed all the way undeterred into the plant's "mouth." It froze, as if questioning whether or not the object in its mouth was food or not. That was all Honey needed.

He ran underneath all the motionless vines, and with a yell, cut the vine holding Tamaki captive with a swift chop. Those pulling against the vine fell backwards with a thud. The yellow plant screeched before slithering out of sight.

Tamaki sat up and struggled with the vine still wrapped around his torso. Honey rushed over and helped him as everyone tried to catch their breath.

"Thank you so much," Tamaki gasped, massaging his throat. He could already feel it swelling up where the plant had choked him. It was better than being eaten by it though. "And thank you, Haruhi," he added, smiling at the girl. The absence of her uncharacteristic courage had sent her to her knees.

"Yeah, that was so brave, Haru-chan!"

Haruhi smiled. "I had to help," she said.

"So . . . I guess this means we have to finish the game then," Kaoru said softly.

"I hate to say this, but we do," Kyoya said. He walked over to the fallen game and picked it up.

"We can't let a giant, man-eating flower loose in the school," Hikaru said. By now they were all huddled around the game board.

"I'll roll this time," Kaoru offered. He held out his hand for the dice and Kyoya gave them to him. Kaoru swallowed hard. "H-Here goes." He shook the dice for a second and dropped them. Everyone flinched, as if expecting the game to blow up at them.

Nothing happened.

"Is it broken?"

"But it's our turn!"

"Here, let me try." Hikaru snatched up the dice and rolled. The piece started moving on its own as if nothing was wrong.

"I guess the game is able to tell who rolled," Kyoya said, sounding impressed in spite of himself.

"How's that even possible—"

"It's done!"

Hikaru licked his lips nervously as he began to read. " _Every month at the quarter moon, there'll be a monsoon in your lagoon_."

"That's fine, right?" Tamaki laughed. "We're inside."

"A-Are monsoons like a s-storm?" Haruhi asked, wrapping her arms around herself. Everyone frowned at her odd comment before they remembered her fear. Just then there was a loud clap of thunder accompanied by a flash of light. Haruhi screamed and latched onto the closest person to her—Tamaki. Then the heavens opened, depositing more rain than any of the Host Club members had ever seen in their entire life. It seemed to come out of nowhere and it came down on them in sheets. They were all soaked in a matter of seconds.

"Let's go in another room!" Tamaki picked Haruhi up and carried her bridal style. The thunder cracked above them and Haruhi tightened her grip.

Tamaki kissed her head and whispered, "It's all right. I'm here, remember?" He wasn't sure if she heard or not, but he felt the gesture was necessary all the same. A father had to console his daughter, right?

Kyoya quickly folded the game up and they all sloshed through the water, running towards the exit. Lightning flashed above them, illuminating the room for a moment. When they were just a few inches from the door, there was a loud rumble from behind them. The Host Club slowly turned around.

Without warning, an enormous gust of water burst through the door the plant had destroyed. Everyone was submerged beneath five feet of water within seconds.


	3. The Battle for Survival

It was rather odd, how underneath the water all the thunder was muffled. Haruhi found it all rather pleasant. There was the problem of not being able to breathe though. A hand grabbed her from behind and pulled her to the surface. Haruhi sucked in the badly needed air and turned towards her savior.

"T-Tamaki!" she sputtered. A loud clap of thunder sent her into his arms once again, and she latched on for dear life. Through the fog in her fear-driven brain, she was aware that Tamaki was struggling with both of their weight, but she was unable to do anything.

"Over here!" a voice called. Tamaki turned towards the voice and saw everyone else climbing up onto a table or couch. Mori was busy lifting people up onto the chandelier, with the twins already huddled among the vines. Honey and Kyoya were standing nearby, waiting for their turn.

The water level continued to rise, and Tamaki knew it was just a matter of time until their refuge on the chandelier would end. However, it would be easier to come up with a plan without having to worry about drowning. He adjusted Haruhi in his arms and started his way over. The going was slow, and soon enough Tamaki had swallowed more water than he knew he should have.

Just when he was about to give up, three pairs of hands grabbed Haruhi and him. Kyoya and Honey pulled Haruhi up onto the table, while Mori dragged him onto the couch. With a heave, he was thrown onto the chandelier with Haruhi not long after.

"You all right, my lord?" the twins asked, pulling him closer so as to make room. All he could do was nod and try to get all the water out of his lungs. Haruhi was gasping and sputtering in his arms, and with each rumble of thunder she held onto him tighter.

"We need to think of a plan!" Kyoya yelled, coming to join them.

"Great! Got any bright ideas?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked, not in the best of moods. At this point, Honey and Mori jumped on, and despite the vines having strengthened the hanging lights, it nearly broke off. The sudden shift of weight sent Kaoru flying into the water.

Hikaru reached out, but only grabbed empty air. "KAORU!"

The twin resurfaced and gasped for air, but then smiled. "It's fine! I can swim, you know." Hikaru smiled, but froze at something behind his brother. His mouth quivered and he tried to yell, but nothing came out. Kaoru frowned and turned around to see what all the fuss was about.

"CROCODILES!" He started swimming as fast as he could towards the chandelier.

"GRAB MY HAND!" Hikaru screamed, reaching out as much as he dared while the others held onto his legs. Just as their hands were about to touch, the chandelier shifted under their weight once more, throwing them back. The two crocodiles behind Kaoru disappeared under the water, and with a horrible scream—so did Kaoru.

" _ **KAORU!**_ "

Mori immediately dove into the water while the rest held Hikaru back.

"You can't go in!" Honey protested.

"Leave it to Mori-senpai!" Kyoya added.

Hikaru was inconsolable. "BUT IT'S MY FAULT! I ROLLED THE DICE! HE'S MY BROTHER!" He continued to struggle.

" _ **I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HIM!**_ "

Just then one of the crocodiles was sent flying out of the water, and the two missing Host Club members broke the surface, gasping for air. Mori swam towards the couch and pulled himself up onto it. He then threw Kaoru onto the chandelier into the waiting arms of Hikaru. Tears fell down Hikaru's face as he embraced his twin with a suffocating hug.

"Don't scare me like that again!" he cried.

"O-Okay," Kaoru coughed. It was then that Hikaru noticed the bloody gashes running across his brother's chest. His shirt and vest were ripped to shreds, but at least there were no missing limbs.

"You're hurt!"

Kaoru chuckled weakly and grasped his brother's hand. "A little pain never hurt anybody, right?" Hikaru closed his eyes against the stinging tears and buried his head into Kaoru's hair, pulling him close. It was times like these that Hikaru wished he could share in his brother's pain, like twins in the movies did. At any rate it would make him feel better. He was the older brother and as such felt responsible for Kaoru's well-being. Though at times it would feel like Kaoru were the older and wiser one, Hikaru wanted to be able to protect him from harm.

He looked up at Mori to thank him for saving his brother. The tall senior just smiled at him with his hair plastered to his forehead from the incessant rain. Idly, Hikaru wondered why he didn't feel as cold as he should. They were soaked to the bone. It would make more sense—

There was a loud _CRUNCH_ followed by an agonizing scream. Hikaru stared in shock at Mori. The other crocodile had leapt into the air as Mori was getting onto the chandelier and had its teeth sunk into his right leg. It was a wonder he hadn't lost it yet. Mori lost his grip on the chandelier and fell into the water.

"MORI-SENPAI!"

"TAKASHI!" Honey dove into the water and was soon engaged in an furious battle against the two crocodiles. They would try to go after Mori who was barely treading water, but were blocked by the young karate master. Hikaru could tell he wasn't going to last much longer though. Fighting in the water and fighting on land were two different things, and the two crocodiles were much faster in the water.

"We've got to do something!" Kaoru said. He tried to sit up but Hikaru still kept a tight grip on him. "Hikaru, we have to do something! Mori-senpai saved me, and it's only a matter of time before Honey-senpai gets hurt." The twins, Kyoya, and Tamaki scrambled to figure out an answer. Haruhi was still shivering and jumping at each crack of thunder. Suddenly, Hikaru had an idea. He handed his brother over to Kyoya and started tearing his shoes off.

"Uh . . . Hikaru?" Kaoru asked. "What are you doing?"

"Same thing Haruhi did." The twin crawled to the other side of the chandelier, threw his arm back, and took aim at one of the windows. The shoe whizzed through the air and struck the window, shattering the glass. The rest of the window gave way from the pressure and water poured out. Hikaru then turned to the next window and threw his other shoe. In a few moments the music room was reduced to a few inches of water. Strangely enough, as soon as the windows were broken the storm stopped.

"Are you guys all right?"

"I'm okay," Honey sputtered. "Great thinking! The crocodiles all went—Takashi!" The senior sprinted towards the two windows that Hikaru had broken. Mori was sitting there, leaning against the small bit of wall that stood between them. His pale face was scrunched up in pain, his breathing was labored, and he clutched his leg, which wasn't a pretty sight. There were deep teeth marks and it looked as if the crocodile had tried to sharpen his teeth on his leg. The water surrounding him was already doused red with overflowing blood.

"We've got to do something to stop the bleeding!" Kyoya said once he got a good view of Mori. He had already leapt off the chandelier and was helping Hikaru lower Kaoru to the ground. Hikaru then jumped down and slung his brother's arm around him while Kyoya ran to Mori. While Kyoya had no experience with practical medical treatment, he knew enough of the principles from growing up around the hospitals his father's company oversaw.

"The swamp water couldn't have been good for the wound," he said. "We need to clean it first before we use any bandages."

"Kaoru needs attention, too!" Hikaru said. His twin was holding his chest and could barely walk due to the pain. The wounds were bleeding freely now, and the upper half of Kaoru's pants already were stained with blood.

Kyoya nodded. "We need to go to the nurse's office. Tamaki, help me with Mori-senpai." The blond second year finished helping a trembling Haruhi down to the ground and rushed over. Then the two of them draped one of Mori's arms over their shoulder and pulled him up. Mori gasped with the sudden pain.

"Sorry, Mori-senpai."

"My—leg—" he grunted, the words forced through clenched teeth.

"It's definitely broken," Kyoya said, his voice surprisingly calm. "As soon as we get to the office we can make you a splint and find you some crutches." Mori nodded and the three of them starting making their way towards the door. It was slow going, since all Mori could do was hobble across the floor as Kyoya and Tamaki gave him support so he wouldn't fall over.

"I-I'll go open the door and grab the game," Honey offered, taking off immediately. Haruhi watched the two groups make their way towards the main doors and decided to help the twins.

"Let me help." The two of them looked at her in surprise and then shook their heads.

"I've got it—"

"—and we don't want to get any blood on you," Kaoru finished. Haruhi rolled her eyes and grabbed Kaoru's free arm.

She gave him a small smile. "I don't care." The three of them walked in silence, too wrapped in their thoughts while Kaoru did his best to fight back the pain. Each movement and breath felt like it pulled his wounds further apart. He tried to control his breathing but it didn't do much.

"What happened to your shoes, Hikaru?" Haruhi asked.

"Nothing—they helped chase away the crocodiles." The girl frowned and then stole a glance at Kaoru and Mori. Both were in a lot of pain and she couldn't help but feel guilty about it. While there was nothing she could have done, Haruhi wished she hadn't had her face buried into Tamaki's chest during the whole ordeal. More than anything she had wanted to stop being so afraid of thunder and be there for her friends while they were all in danger.

And what was the deal with what was going on? How was it possible that a game was causing all of this? That last roll had dispelled any thoughts of hers that it could have been a prank, because there was no denying that the rain came out of nowhere, as well as the thunder. She shifted her glance to Tamaki and even from a side view could see the guilt on his face as he looked at Mori. Since he brought the game, it was natural for him to feel responsible. It wasn't his fault though, and Haruhi was determined to make sure he would understand that once Kaoru and Mori were taken care of.

As they inched their way towards the nurse's office, Haruhi was amazed at how normal the rest of the school looked. It shocked her to know that outside of the music room everything else was carrying on like always. Was it all a dream?

One glance at their small group told her it wasn't. Hikaru was walking around barefoot with bloodstains on his clothes; Kaoru's chest was fully exposed with his shirt tattered, unable to hide the deep, bloody gashes across his chest; Tamaki and Kyoya looked more normal, other than the circular, swollen bruise around Tamaki's neck where the vine had throttled him; Mori's broken leg looked like it had been skinned; and Honey was walking beside him, covered with a few scratches, bruises, and a black eye, which Haruhi assumed came from fighting the crocodiles. Haruhi was scared to think about what she looked like.

On top of that they were all completely soaked, though with Tamaki in his safari outfit it was an almost appropriate look for him. Haruhi suppressed a shiver and hoped there were extra clothes in the nurse's office.

In ten minute's time they had finally reached the nurse's office. Kyoya and Tamaki set Mori down and immediately went to work. Haruhi figured that in caring for his mother, Tamaki had to be rather adept at basic medical treatment as well. Honey tossed the game onto a table and rushed to Mori's side.

"What can I do to help?" Haruhi asked once she helped Kaoru into a chair. Hikaru was gently brushing back Kaoru's hair and whispering to him in an attempt to distract him from the pain.

Kyoya glanced at her and tossed some sort of wet cloth in her hands. "That's a gauze. Use it to clean Kaoru's wounds. Tamaki will tend to Mori."

She started dabbing at the biggest gash and Kaoru hissed. "Sorry, but I have to do this."

"Oh no, it's fine," Kaoru said through clenched teeth. "Don't worry about me." Hikaru looked at his brother with worry and held his hand.

"Hikaru, can you get some scissors and use it to take the rest of his shirt off?" Haruhi asked. "I think it would be best if we took the wet clothes off him."

"Got it." Hikaru quickly cut all the remaining strands of clothing and tore off the shirt. Then he put his arms around Kaoru's shoulders and held onto his twin's offered hand. They nodded at Haruhi and she began quickly cleaning the wound, doing her best to soak up all the blood without tearing the skin. As she cleaned Kaoru bit his lip and did his best not to cry out. Hikaru distracted him by resuming his whispering and stroking Kaoru's hair. Once the cuts were all cleaned, Haruhi made sure to disinfect the wound, using what Kyoya gave her.

"There, that should be better," she said cheerfully. Kaoru just nodded weakly. His face was drenched in sweat and he was panting. "Now we just need to bandage it." Kyoya handed her a long roll and she and Hikaru then started tightly wrapping them around Kaoru's chest.

Meanwhile, Tamaki was having a hard time with Mori. The senior's leg was propped up on another chair in an attempt to elevate it. Tamaki wanted to raise it more, but with his leg being broken that was out of the question. Mori was barely conscious as it was. His face was flushed and hot to the touch, and it took him a while to respond.

Silent tears fell down Honey's face as he dabbed Mori's forehead with a cool, wet cloth. The small senior had to stand on a stool to reach, and he was holding Mori's hand for both his comfort and his cousin's. Whenever Honey had to get a shot Mori always held his hand and told him to squeeze as hard as he wanted. Honey wanted to do the same for him.

Tamaki had already removed part of Mori's pant leg and was doing his best to clean the wounds. He was afraid of scrubbing off any of the remaining skin since there was so few of it. Once it was all cleaned and disinfected, Kyoya came over to help splint his leg.

"I gave some pills to Kaoru to help with the pain," Kyoya said. He held out a glass of water and pills to Honey. "These should help." As Honey helped Mori swallow the pills, Kyoya and Tamaki wrapped bandages around Mori's leg, being sure not to make it too tight. Then they set his leg using two, thin boards the nurses kept for such purposes. Mori nearly passed out during the process, but once it was finished he was able to breathe easier and the pain was lessened from the absence of any accidental jarring.

"C-C-Can we get some new c-clothes?" Kaoru asked. He had his arms wrapped around his bare, bandaged chest and shivered violently. A few minutes later, they were all changed into warmer clothing. Because of Mori's leg splint and Honey's rather small stature, the two of them were unable to change their pants, and Honey's white shirt was two sizes too big. It would have looked adorable under normal circumstances, but with his black eye and cuts and scrapes he looked more like an abused child than the cute lolita he usually was.

"Where should we go now?" Hikaru asked once everyone was settled.

"I don't want to go back into the music room," Honey sniffed. He had his arms wrapped tightly around Mori.

"I agree," Kyoya said. "It's too damp and that plant is still in there."

Haruhi glanced at the game and thought. "I think we should go somewhere with a lot of room. That will make it easier to escape."

Kyoya nodded. "I believe Haruhi is right. The cafeteria should be sufficient."

"And we can get some food," Hikaru said with a weak laugh. "I know I'm hungry."

As everyone started to file out of the room, Haruhi stole a glance at Tamaki. He hadn't said a word since he apologized to Mori in the music room. His sulking was different from what it usually was, and the young girl was overcome with sympathy and worry for him. In all their time together she had never seen him like this. He was staring at the floor with such a detached and hurtful expression he looked close to tears.

"Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi crouched down in front of him and looked up at his face, forcing him to look at her. Thankfully there was a boy's outfit in her size, so she didn't feel as awkward around him as she could have. Plus, she felt safer in a shirt and pants because a dress would have certainly slowed her down should she need to run from anything else that came out of the game.

"It's all my fault," he whispered. "All my fault."

"It isn't your fault."

"Mori-senpai and Kaoru are hurt, Kyoya almost got eaten, you almost drowned—"

"Stop it. Tamaki—"

"What kind of father am I? Everyone is getting hurt—"

"Stop!" Tamaki wasn't responding to her, even when she grabbed his shoulders and shook him. He just kept staring straight ahead, speaking so softly she could barely hear him.

"Everything is my fault. If only I didn't bring the game—"

"Tamaki-senpai!"

"—none of this would have happened. What am I going to do—"

Unable to take it anymore, Haruhi slapped him across the face. He stopped muttering to himself and actually looked at her, his eyes wide with grief and pain. "H-Haruhi . . ." Then he broke into tears and Haruhi pulled him into a hug.

"I-It's okay," she whispered, rubbing his back like she would with a child. "Everyone is going to be fine." Tamaki had his arms wrapped around her and the girl's thoughts drifted to that night on the beach. She would have never thought their roles would have been reversed, with her comforting the older boy. It was still a nice feeling though, being able to be there for him.

Seeing him utterly defeated like that had scared her. While he tended to be annoying at times, Haruhi had only seen him with a smile on his face. It was just who Tamaki was. He never let anything get him down and his cheeriness always affected those around him. She didn't want that to change.

"I wish we could just stop playing," Tamaki sighed, once he calmed down enough.

"Once we win the game everything will go back to normal," Haruhi gently reminded him. "I promise we'll all be fine." She held out her hand.

Tamaki stared at her hand, and then back up at her. "Promise?"

"Of course!" Haruhi made sure to smile as wide as she could and it seemed to cheer Tamaki up.

"Okay." He took her hand and then the two of them made their way to the cafeteria.

* * *

"Whose turn is it again?"

The seven of them were seated around a single table in the cafeteria. They had all grabbed something to eat from the kitchen and were in a cheerier mood with food in their stomach. As an afterthought, all of them held various objects that could be used as weapons should the need arise. After all that had happened they learned they had to be prepared. The twins were brandishing large, metal ladles they found sitting in a large soup container; Kyoya, Tamaki, and Honey each had a wooden staff that Honey had fashioned out of brooms; Mori was content to use his crutches; and Haruhi held two large pans. For extra precaution they also had a few knives nearby, but the only ones who had the nerve to use them were Mori and Honey.

"I just went," Hikaru said, "so it's Honey-senpai's."

The small blond stared at the game in fear. Mori placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It'll be fine." Honey gulped and picked up the dice. Everyone stared at the yellowing squares expectantly, each gripping their preferred weapon of choice a little tighter. For a split second Haruhi thought of how normal this must have looked, if one overlooked the fact they were carrying random, everyday objects. Just a group of friends playing a board game in a shiny, spotless cafeteria. She wondered how long it would stay that way.

Honey quickly rolled the dice and jumped back. They all stared in silence and watched the black elephant move forward four spaces.

" _Need a hand while you just wait? We'll help you out, we each have eight._ "

"Spiders!" they all yelled. No sooner had they opened their mouth when enormous, brown and black spiders came falling from the ceiling, using a sticky thread. Each one was nearly three feet long and they made loud, screeching sounds like someone was rubbing their nails against a chalkboard.

"How can spiders _get_ so big?" Kaoru said, pulling his metal ladle closer. "It's unnatural!" Just then a spider landed on the game board and shook its two front legs at them, saliva dripped from its mouth and they all leapt back in fear. Tamaki then pulled his broom handle back _(nearly hitting everyone in the process)_ and smacked the spider off the table. In doing so, he also knocked the game off, and the dice went flying.

"Great job, my lord!" the twins said.

"I'll fix it!" he yelled back. The spider he had hit was lying flat on its back a few inches away from the board. Its long, hairy legs were flailing in the air in such a sickening way Tamaki felt nauseous.

"Tamaki! Duck!" The blond immediately did as he was told and he heard something whiz through the air before it struck something with a disturbing, gurgling sound. He looked up and saw the spider shudder and die, with a large knife poking out of its chest. The Host King turned around and saw Mori smile at him, leaning on one of his crutches. Tamaki smiled back and then focused his attention back to the game.

The dice had rolled underneath the table, far from Tamaki's reach. He cursed at his luck and dove for them, scrambling underneath the table. Just before he could grab them, spider legs reached out and attacked his hands. The second year shrieked in surprise and immediately scrambled backwards. In his haste he smacked his head against the table. Tamaki moaned and cradled his head as his blurred vision swerved in and out.

Suddenly a hand yanked him backwards out from underneath the table. He was tossed up against a chair, and there was a sound of a something falling over. When the world righted itself, Tamaki saw Mori standing in front of him with the table overturned. The offending spider lay twitching a few feet away with a knife lodged between its many eyes.

"Th-Thanks, Mori-senpai," Tamaki said as he stood up. The senior was breathing heavily and leaning on his crutches.

"Get the dice," he said.

Being careful not to get too close to the monstrous spider, Tamaki quickly snatched up the dice. When he stood up, he stole a glance at all the other Host Club members. Honey was whirling his broken broom with ease, Kyoya was awkwardly swinging his weapon like a baseball bat, and the twins were slashing their ladles across the ground like golf clubs, appropriately yelling, "FORE!" whenever they sent a spider flying. Haruhi was standing nearby the twins and she slammed her pots down on the spiders when they got too close. They moved too fast for her to actually hit them, but they knew enough to keep their distance from her. It even appeared like she was purposefully sending them in the twin's direction.

With the dice in his hand Tamaki remembered it was his turn, but then paled when he realized what must have happened. He glanced at a confused Mori in fear and sprinted towards the table. Sure enough, his white rhino had moved. Once again, the game had misinterpreted a roll. How it could have known that it was _he_ who knocked the game over, Tamaki would never know. He leaned forward to read the green writing, but just then a spider leapt towards him out of nowhere.

Before it could strike, there was a whizzing sound and the spider was thrown sideways and onto the ground. And this time, instead of a knife there was an arrow sticking out of its chest. There was a loud yell with incoherent chanting following it, and Tamaki glanced up towards the balcony overlooking the cafeteria in fear.

Standing in a foreboding line above them was a group of men, clad only in loincloths and paint. Their tanned skin gleamed in the light from the chandeliers and glinted off their bows. A few of them were adorned in headdresses and feathers. They also were brandishing spears and had their arrows pointed directly at them.

Tamaki quickly glanced at the game and read, _These group of hunters are in a hurry; if you want to live you'd better scurry._ He turned to the awestruck members of his club and yelled, "RUN!"


	4. We Must Band Together

There was a moment of silence after Tamaki's shout, which was then dispelled by the onslaught of arrows. The others were able to get out of the line of fire quickly, being the closest to a pair of doors. They rushed to safety then spun around to see how Tamaki and Mori were faring.

"Takashi! Tama-chan!" The pair was not doing so well. Spider carcasses, fallen chairs, and overturned tables stood in their way as unwanted obstacles, making it even harder to Mori to navigate across the floor. As Tamaki crouched down to avoid a spear that came whizzing towards his head, he glanced back.

"Mori-senpai!" The senior held up one of his crutches to block three arrows, but in doing so was caught off balance. Mori tripped over his feet and stumbled backwards. Tamaki watched in fear as all the hunters took their attention off him and all aim their weapons at Mori.

Tamaki figured their intent was to attack the weakest first. For a brief moment, the Host King suppressed the urge to chuckle at the thought. Really? Mori-senpai—the weakest? If anything he was the strongest out of all of them, though Honey-senpai wasn't a person to scoff at either. The only reason all those hunters weren't knocked out yet was because Mori-senpai's leg was broken.

Tearing himself away from his thoughts, Tamaki watched as the seconds ticked by in slow motion. As the hunters pulled back their spears or arrows, his eyes drifted to a fallen spider beside him. Suddenly he got an idea.

" _STARLIGHT KICK!_ "

The spider sailed through the air, and while it missed its intended target, it still did the job. Three hunters fell backwards, their action distracting the others. Tamaki then took advantage of their confusion and charged towards Mori. He grabbed his arms and dragged the senior behind an overturned table for cover.

"Thanks," Mori said. He tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. Tamaki figured that the small spill the senior took must have jarred his leg terribly. He was unable to imagine how much it had to hurt.

Tamaki flashed him a wide smile, hoping to lift the protective boy's spirits. "Just returning the favor," he said, before peering over the table. He ducked down quickly as a barrage of arrows fell on them. Tamaki flinched at the thud of many arrows colliding with the wood. He then glanced over at the others, looking at Kyoya in particular.

The Shadow King understood the look and nodded, his expression determined and serious. Kyoya adjusted his glasses and spoke to the people beside him. "I've got a plan."

* * *

The hunters were furious. Never before had they been forced to wait so long for their prey. These children were infuriating! One would have thought they'd have it easy with the black-haired one walking with sticks, but his yellow-haired friend ruined it. They couldn't deny the fact that they were impressed with the boy's resourcefulness though. It was amazing how he was able to kick the spider so far and with such power.

Now the two of them had ducked for cover. Their chief yelled an order and they started running down the white-stoned steps. If arrows wouldn't work, then spears and clubs certainly would. And it's not like any of them were complaining about a little hand-to-hand combat action with their prey. None of them were graced with much interaction with other humans ever since that _Alan_ or whatever that boy's name was came into their jungle all those years ago. They had rescued him from the man with the long stick that shot fire. It was entertaining to see the little boy try and fend for himself in the forest, but he had long since left.

"Hey, underwear freaks!" The hunters paused in their attack and glanced upwards towards the source of the sound. They couldn't understand what was being said, but it sounded insulting, whatever it was. To their surprise, it was not one person, but two perfectly identical orange-haired boys! Both of them had similar smirks on their face and to be truthful, each of the hunters felt a small trickle of fear run down their spine at the sight of it. Not that they were ever going to admit it, though.

"Betcha can't get us!"

"Of course they can't, Hikaru! Just look at those wimpy little sticks they're holding."

"I agree. I think we'd be too much for them."

The hunters watched in confusion as the two boys conversed with each other, almost like they didn't consider them as much of a threat. What did those children take them for? The group turned to their chief for instructions and he glared at the two boys who now were sticking their tongues out at him. The chief had no idea what the action was for, but it was obviously a form of insult. And he was not going to stand for it.

He opened his mouth to issue an order to charge after the boys, but to his surprise something wet and slimy collided with his face. The chief blinked furiously and wiped the water off. When he pulled his hand away there was something bright and orange in his hand. It looked like a piece of clothing but it felt—different. His inspection of the strange object was interrupted by laughter up above where those two boys were standing.

"There's more where that came from!"

The two boys held floppy, vibrant balls in their hands. At first it looked like strange fruit, but the way it jiggled the hunters could tell it was something different. Suddenly, the hunters found themselves assaulted by a dozen or so of those brightly colored balls that shattered on impact and had them all drenched in seconds.

"All their paint is coming off!"

"They sure look ridiculous that way!"

"How can we ever take them seriously now?"

It was too much. The chief gave a barely comprehensible shout of attack and they all charged back up the stone steps to enact their revenge on the identical boys. Three of the hunters stayed behind to go after the other two boys though. Despite their anger at being made a fool of they understood that those two previous boys were done for and it was their duty to capture them.

To their surprise, something small and yellow came charging at them, and before they could raise a hand to defend themselves they were knocked out cold. All they saw was darkness.

* * *

"Uh, Honey-senpai?"

Honey glanced up from tightening the rope around the last hunter. "What is it, Haru-chan?"

"How did Kyoya-senpai know the twins would have water balloons? And where did they get them, anyway?"

The small boy just smiled. "Because Kyo-chan knows everything!" Haruhi resisted the urge to wince at Honey's expression. No matter how wide he smiled, the effect was diminished by that nasty black eye. It hurt her to see him looking so beat up, and the deep cut across his cheek didn't help either.

"Thanks a lot, guys." Haruhi spun around to see Tamaki and Mori emerge from behind the table, which now looked more like a porcupine than anything else. "Where did Kyoya go?"

"He's helping the twins trap the hunters," Haruhi explained. "Are you guys all right?"

It was amazing how fast Tamaki could move. "It makes me so happy to know that my daughter is so concerned about my well-being!" Tamaki proclaimed as he spun around with Haruhi.

"Mori-senpai! Help—Oh." Haruhi's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she realized her mistake. Knowing Mori, he would feel depressed at not being able to save her from Tamaki's death grip like he usually did. Tamaki noticed her hesitation and stopped. They both glanced over at Mori.

To their surprise, he wasn't paying any attention to either of them. He sitting in a chair, panting heavily as Honey stood near him like a mother hen. The small blond was speaking quietly to his cousin and holding his hand. Haruhi and Tamaki smiled warmly at the sight, finding it adorable how the roles had become reversed.

"How about we go and get you some more pain medicine, Mori-senpai?" Tamaki asked. The senior slowly opened one bleary eye and nodded. "Let's go, Haruhi." The young girl smiled up at Tamaki and took his hand. He looked a little surprised, blushed furiously, and then walked forward without another word, giving her hand a tiny squeeze.

Part of Haruhi's mind loudly protested her action, but she quickly shrugged it off. With all the insane things going on, this small action gave her a little comfort. She also knew that Tamaki needed reassurance as well. As they walked she heard the shouts and calls of the hunters along with the undeniable cackles of Hikaru and Kaoru. What in the world were they doing? And for that matter, what was Kyoya doing?

* * *

Ever since the fiasco with the lion, everything had been really scary and solemn. Now it was fun! Of course, there was still the factor of deadly Indians or whatever chasing after them with clubs and spears—but who cares? The moment Kyoya asked them to provide a distraction and lead the men away from Tamaki and Mori they knew just what to do. They just so happened to have a stash of various assorted objects that were perfect for pranking. Some school days just needed to be livened up, that's all. And if they were able to include Tamaki in the prank, then all the better.

Hikaru grew concerned for his brother though. All this running was starting to wear on him, and he could see his twin wincing in pain as they dashed through the school. _Just a little further_ , he told himself. As they ran, Hikaru was shocked to see that the plant they encountered earlier had now started to grow outside of Music Room 3. The second floor was already covered! This posed a bit of a problem, because with vines zigzagging across the floor it slowed them down. Plus, it was obvious that the Indians were used to dealing with this sort of terrain, and they were starting to gain on them.

Up ahead they saw two blinking lights. "That's our cue!" Hikaru shouted. Kaoru simply nodded. He was hunched over and breathing heavily. The two of them yanked out a nose plug from their pant pockets and put them on. When they reached the end of the hallway, they spun around and faced the hunters. Then they nodded to each other and simultaneously pulled out a small object and held it up for the men to see.

The hunters slowed down and stared at the two boys with apprehension, wondering if they should dare move any further. Sure, they were just boys, but those grins on their faces were the look of the devil.

"I would suggest a nice, _long_ bath after this," Hikaru laughed, his voice pinched from the nose plug. "NOW!" The two of them threw down the objects and the entire hallway erupted in smoke with an overwhelming smell of rotten eggs. Some of the hunters fell to their knees with their eyes watering and nose burning. They couldn't see anything past the smoke and all they could hear was the laughter of the two boys.

Once it cleared, those two were nowhere in sight. Enraged, the hunters rushed to the spot where the two of them had been previously standing, and glanced left and right, looking down the adjoining hallways. No one. Just when they were about to give up, they heard someone clapping behind them. It was a dark-haired boy with a strange object resting on his nose.

"Everyone gets pranked by the twins sooner or later. There's no reason to be upset." Kyoya adjusted his glasses and smirked. He had to hand it to the Hikaru and Kaoru—they were handy in a crisis such as this. Now it was his turn. Everything was prepared, so all he had to do was lead them to it.

He took a step backwards to start running, but at that instant something whizzed through the air towards him and embedded itself in his shoulder. Kyoya cried out in pain and staggered backwards, clutching the arrow. As the hunters cheered, Kyoya's mind was whirling from pain and confusion.

 _I thought for sure that my appearance would have shocked them long enough for me to get away,_ he thought. _That archer moved too fast._ The pain in his shoulder would be the least of his problems if he didn't move though. He was lucky he chose that time to move, or else it would have gone through his neck. Kyoya reached out with his uninjured arm and grasped the nearby doorknob. He quickly rushed inside as another arrow collided with the door frame, where his head had been mere seconds before.

When the hunters charged through the door to follow their injured prey, they noticed that it was pitch dark. Perhaps the kid thought he'd have a greater chance in the darkness? The thought nearly made them laugh. They were trained to fight with hardly any visibility. Once their senses recovered from the stink attack, they would find him in no time. Just then, the door slammed shut with a click, and they heard the boy's taunting voice from the other side of the door.

"Sorry to keep you locked up like this, gentlemen, but it's for your own good. And don't think about breaking down the door. It's made of some of the strongest materials and there are no windows."

Kyoya's good hand fumbled with the vine as he struggled to wrap it around the door knob, just in case. Suddenly, hands reached out and Kyoya spun around in fear and started attacking whoever it was with his one good arm.

"Hey-hey-hey! Relax, Kyoya-senpai—it's us!"

He blinked and noticed that it was indeed Kaoru and Hikaru. Both had their arms up in a _"We surrender_ " type of way, and instead of their usual grins they were looking at him with something that could almost be construed as pity. Kyoya let out a small cough as he adjusted his glasses and cursed his momentary lapse in neutrality. That was twice now in one afternoon!

"A most impressive display," Kyoya said. "How did you manage to escape so fast?"

"Climbed up the vines," Hikaru explained as he tied the vine Kyoya was previously using around the door. The could hear the hunters banging on the doors and yelling.

Kaoru gave a feeble laugh as he wrapped his arm around his stomach. "They didn't think to look up."

"Well, you w-were a great—h-help," Kyoya stammered. He was starting to feel really dizzy and weak in the knees. He glanced down at his injured shoulder and saw the blood was flowing freely, despite his attempts to stanch it with his opposite hand. It was already stained red. _So this is what it's like then?_ he thought. _Fascinating._

"Come on," Hikaru said as he rolled his eyes and gentled prodded Kyoya down the hall. "We need to take you to the infirmary."

"W-We need to catch up with the others—" Kyoya protested, trying to stop the hallway from spinning as he was pushed along.

"Not in that condition, you aren't," Kaoru said.

"But it's my turn to roll—"

"All the more reason for them to wait for us."

"Besides," Kaoru added with a smile, "what would daddy say if we let mommy bleed to death?"

* * *

Mori looked a lot better after taking the pain killers, but he did look a little sleepy. Haruhi fervently prayed that it wouldn't affect his mood though, because a sleepy Mori terrified her. She did her best to forget that afternoon because out of all the Host Club members, Mori had been the only one she hadn't been afraid of, and she wanted to kid herself into thinking that way purely for sanity's sake.

She glanced over at Tamaki who was pacing impatiently. He kept rubbing his neck, as if he were entranced by the feeling of his swollen skin. It appeared like he was doing it unconsciously, but she just wished he would stop. It served as a painful reminder that he was almost choked to death.

"Kyo-chan! What's wrong?" Haruhi turned around and was shocked to see Kyoya walking towards them with his shoulder bandaged and wrapped up in a sling. His blue coat was gone, and his white shirt was unbuttoned halfway so as not to disturb his wound.

"He got hit with one of the arrows," Hikaru explained. He rubbed his hands together as if he were trying to wash them. When they finally got Kyoya to the infirmary, they quickly pulled the arrow out and for some reason Hikaru could still feel the blood on his hands. It unnerved him, but not as much as hearing Kyoya yelp in pain when it was removed. When he thought of Kyoya, he imagined a sadistic man bent on money. Not an injured kid, one year his senior. It just didn't feel right.

Once he was all bandaged up and took a few pain killers, Kyoya was back to his old self, which Hikaru was grateful for. With all the crazy stuff going on, it was comforting to know that some things would never change.

"And before you ask, I'm perfectly fine," Kyoya said quickly. "All I want to do is get this game over with so we can resume our lives. Where's the board?"

Everyone turned to Tamaki, still looking to him as the leader. The blond just stood there, staring at Kyoya's injury with an unreadable expression on his face. A few uncomfortable seconds ticked by as they all waited for the energetic, obnoxious Host King to say something.

"I'm sorry," he finally mumbled.

Kyoya just sighed. "Just get the game so we can finish. If I remember correctly I have less than ten spaces left—"

"Don't you get it?" Tamaki yelled. "This is all my fault! Everyone keeps getting hurt, and it's only a matter of time before someone dies—"

"We don't have time for your dramatics, Tamaki," Kyoya said in irritation. "Just get me the game."

"But you don't—"

"What do you want me to say?" Kyoya glared at Tamaki and walked forward until he was a few feet in front of him. "Do you want me to yell at you and blame you for everything? Scold you for bringing us into another one of these crazy adventures?"

Tamaki said nothing but stared at Kyoya with a mixture of fear and sorrow. He opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it and glanced at his feet.

"I'm not going to blame you, since you seem to be doing enough of that yourself. Can we just finish the game and get this over with?"

They stood there for a few brief moments, the air thick with tension. Suddenly, Tamaki smiled. "Looks like Mommy had to put Daddy in his place."

Kyoya sighed and pushed Tamaki lightly on the shoulder. "Why must you insist on giving us those ridiculous titles? Go get the game, idiot. The rest of you pick up that table; I'm going to end this game now."

In a few moment's time, they were all standing around the game. Kyoya held the dice in his hand and was mentally counting the board spaces. "I have nine squares left." He gripped the dice tightly and then rolled them onto the board. Everyone watched with bated breath, hardly daring to hope.

Four.

"Damn!" Kyoya slammed his fist onto the table and glared as the alligator stopped just inches from the center.

" _You're almost there with much at stake, but now the ground begins to quake_." No sooner had the words left Kyoya's lips did the entire school shake with an incredible force. Kaoru and Hikaru immediately latched onto each other as they fell to the ground, Tamaki reached out and pulled Haruhi close to him, Kyoya fell against the table and wrapped his arms around the game as if protecting it, and Mori extended a hand towards Honey but was unbalanced due to his leg and collapsed onto the floor.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them started to give way. There was a loud _CRACK_ and the floor started to split right down the middle underneath the table they were all gathered around. As Tamaki started to fall backwards with Haruhi, he grabbed the back of Kyoya's shirt and yanked him away from the ever widening hole. Kyoya let out a cry when his shoulder collided with the hard ground, but he joined Tamaki and Haruhi in scrambling away from the crumbling edge.

On the other side of the crack, the floor rose a few feet and sent the occupants tumbling backwards. The twins were sent rolling where they eventually slammed into the nearby wall and Mori scrambled across the floor towards Honey, who was huddled too close to the crack for the senior's liking. Honey reached out his hand towards Mori, and then in one traumatizing moment, everyone watched as the floor beneath the small blond gave way.

" ** _MITSKUNI!_** "

The other hosts didn't know what was worse—the raw terror and emotion in Mori's voice or Honey's scream as he plummeted down the crack. Suddenly, the shaking ceased just as quickly as it had began. The twins blinked, trying to chase away the throbbing in their ears from slamming into the wall.

"Mitskuni!" Hikaru and Kaoru glanced up and saw Mori crawling towards the ledge, his crutches lying forgotten a couple feet behind him.

The absence of Honey's reply filled the twins with an undesirable dread. A small part of their mind told them there was no way he would have survived that, but they brushed it aside and rushed to join Mori at the ledge. Out of the corner of their eyes they could see the others doing the same across the gaping divide that separated them.

All five of them joined Mori in calling Honey's name, each praying for him to be all right. After a few horrifying moments they heard a feeble, "I'm here." His small voice came from the darkness and he sounded dazed.

"Where are you?"

"Can you see us, Honey-senpai?"

"Are you okay?"

"My . . . head hurts," Honey admitted. "My . . . whole body . . . hurts."

"But can you see us?" Tamaki repeated. It sounded as if Honey was fighting to stay conscious.

"I can . . . see all of . . . you."

Kyoya leaned forward, ignoring the strain it caused on his shoulder. "Are you on a ledge or at the bottom of the crack?"

There was silence for a moment, then Honey said, "It feels . . . squishy and . . . wet . . ." The Host Club members stared at each other in confusion and fear. Honey had to be losing it. There was nothing but cement and rock down there. Kyoya frowned and glanced around the room idly, before his gaze settled on something. His eyes grew wide and excited.

"It's the vines!" he said. "They were already growing on the second floor, and now they've made their way onto this floor, look!" Everyone looked up and glanced around the room and discovered Kyoya was right. The plants were growing all around the walls now—not as quick as before but they were there.

Mori immediately pushed himself away from the edge and started scrambling towards the vines in a half-crazed manner, startling everyone.

"H-hey! Mori-sempai!" the twins yelled, running after him. "We'll get a vine for Honey-senpai, don't worry!" Mori nodded furiously and then returned to the crevice and peered through the darkness. He stared at it so intently that Haruhi felt Mori believed that if he stared hard enough he would be able to find out where Honey was.

"We'll pull you up, Mitskuni."

"O-Okay, Takashi."

The next few minutes stretched out for eternity as the Host Club members pulled Honey to safety. The twins pulled on the vine while Mori leaned out over the edge, ready to grab onto Honey once he was within reach. Finally, he came into view. The smallest host looked to be in bad shape, yet by some miracle he had no broken bones. His elbows and one side of his face was all scuffed up and bleeding, but other than that there weren't any life-threatening injuries. He also seemed to be coming out of his previous daze and was more coherent.

Once he was close enough, Mori wrenched Honey over the ledge and immediately began checking him over in a hurried manner. His eyes were wide and his hands shook slightly as he prodded Honey's limbs and chest to make absolute sure there were no broken bones. Honey giggled when Mori touched his stomach.

"Th-That tickles!" He tried pushing Mori's hands away and the senior glanced at his big, wide eyes, his own filled with worry. Honey smiled warmly and pat Mori on the head. "I'm okay, Takashi. Nothing to worry about."

Mori stared at Honey a few seconds more as if trying to see for sure whether or not Honey was telling the truth. Then he wrapped his arms around the small boy and pulled him into a tight embrace. He made no sound, but Haruhi could see Mori tremble slightly. The girl gave a sigh of relief, grateful that nothing too serious had happened to Honey. She cared about the small senior too much and had no idea how Mori would be able to handle something like that. Mori and Honey felt like a single person—like you couldn't have one without the other. Just like with Hikaru and Kaoru, and if one thought about it long enough, then it applied to Tamaki and Kyoya as well. Each of them had their own special someone.

But where did that leave her? Haruhi frowned at the thought. She had never really thought about it before. With her included, that made seven. Definitely not an even number. Where was her double?

"How about we figured out a way to go across?" Tamaki suggested, giving Haruhi's shoulder a small squeeze. Along with Kyoya, the three of them were still huddled together on the ground; Tamaki had his arms wrapped around both Haruhi and Kyoya, and Kyoya was holding onto the game board with his one good arm. Tamaki stood up and helped the other two to their feet.

"The crack is narrowest over there," Kyoya said, nudging his head a couple feet to their left. "We might be able to walk across it using one of the tables."

"Let's go find a table, Haruhi!" Tamaki said, dragging her away. They found a table that slid into the crack perfectly, and then as an extra precaution, Haruhi, Tamaki, and Kyoya tied a strong vine across their waists and the twins tied it around one of the columns that held up the balcony overhead. Mori and Honey held onto the rope in the middle to make sure it wouldn't break.

As Haruhi gingerly walked across the table first, with everyone cheering her on, she realized that she didn't have _just_ a someone. She had all of them! Instead of hanging in twos she was able to insert herself to make three. Each and every one of them made her feel welcome and included. She never felt left out of anything because they all were the most important person to her. When she reached the other side safely and everyone clapped enthusiastically, Haruhi made an effort to give them all the warmest smile she could. And because she was looking for it, the young girl could see the way all their expressions grew softer and lightened up. Even Kyoya looked happier.

"Well, before we move any further we should have your wounds looked at, Honey-senpai," Tamaki said once they were all together again. "Those scrapes don't look so good."

"Oh, I'm okay, Tama-chan!" Honey protested. "It doesn't hurt that much—ow!" Honey bit his lip to fight the pain as Mori lowered a finger from Honey's elbow.

"Let's clean it . . . please," Mori said quietly. The oldest member of the Host Club opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it.

He smiled and nuzzled into Mori's lap. "Sure."

Tamaki boldly stepped forward. "I shall carry you, Honey-senpai!" Mori shot him a bemused and grateful look as Honey giggled.

"Okay, Tama-chan!" The small blond walked over to Tamaki and the Host King hefted Honey into his arms.

"We'll be back in a few minutes! Mommy, can you and the twins watch over the game?" Kyoya rolled his eyes but nodded. Haruhi and Mori stood up and then followed after Tamaki. "Wait until we get back to roll, Hikaru." The twin shrugged and joined his brother in playfully shooing them away.

"Just go already." Kyoya laid the game board on the ground and looked up at the twins. "Watch over that. I'm curious to see how the earthquake affected some of the infrastructure of this room."

"Bleh, sounds boring!" the twins chimed. Kyoya chose to just ignore them and walked over to the divided stairs, apparently deep in thought.

"After all that's happened he's still a nerd," Kaoru sighed. "Don't you agree?"

"Let's finish the game," Hikaru whispered, ignoring his brother's previous comment. He knelt down and pulled the game closer to himself.

"They said to wait!" Kaoru whispered back, frowning at his brother. He then joined him on the ground and cast a nervous glance in Kyoya's direction.

Hikaru waved him off and grabbed the dice. "Who cares? If I can finish the game right now no one will care! I've only got . . . ten more spaces! All I've got to do is make it so I roll a twelve or something. . . "

A bad feeling manifested itself in Kaoru's stomach as he watched his brother hold the dice over the game board with the sixes on top. " _Are you trying to cheat?_ "

"It's not _cheating_ ," Hikaru argued. "The game thought that Honey-sempai rolled when all he did was toss the dice! As long as I make it fall, the game won't be able to tell!"

"But, Hikaru—"

"I know what I'm doing!" Hikaru growled. "I just can't take this game anymore! Everything is going wrong!" Kaoru could see the anger and helplessness in his brother's eyes. "Everyone's hurt, and I'm not letting anything else in this game hurt _you!_ Don't you understand? I wasn't able to protect you! It's going to end _now!_ " He dropped the dice, and by some miracle they landed, wobbled, and then lay still with the sixes facing upwards.

"I did it!" Kaoru gazed in awe at the dice and hugged his brother tightly as the two of them jumped for joy. "It's all over! We don't have to . . . _why isn't the monkey moving?_ " Hikaru and Kaoru stared at the monkey which didn't move an inch even though the center was forming words just like usual. The two of them leaned in slowly to read the words, feeling very— _very_ afraid.

" _Because you tried to cheat, there is something interesting you must meet._ "

"What do you suppose that means, Hikaru?" Kaoru looked at his twin, who was no longer paying attention to the game. He was staring at his hands with a horrified look on his face.

"Hikaru . . . Hikaru? _HIKARU?_ "


	5. It All Falls Apart

"HIKARU! HIKARU! _HIKARU!_ "

Kaoru could only watch, paralyzed in fear as his brother's hands started disappearing. It was as if he were sand and was being blown away. Only when Hikaru started screaming did Kaoru snap out of it. He ran forward and grabbed his brother's shoulders. Every sound had turned into a dull roar in his ears.

"STOP! STOP IT! HIKARU! STOP!"

No matter how much he screamed, Hikaru still kept disappearing. Soon his arms stretched and his body followed, turning the screaming redhead into a thin ribbon. Kaoru tried to hold onto Hikaru's shoulders, but they slipped from his fingers and he couldn't grab a hold of him anymore. Hikaru's stretched body rushed towards the game and whirled around towards the center, like the bottom of a tornado. Then he completely vanished—sucked into the game.

"STOP! GIVE HIM BACK! GIVE ME MY BROTHER BACK! GIVE HIM BACK!"

The other Host members could only watch in horror and confusion. They were walking back from the nurse's office when they heard the screaming. They all rushed towards the cafeteria, all wondering what else came out of the game. They were also a little angry at the twins for taking their turn without them there to help. The first thing they saw was Kyoya just standing there, staring at something in front of him and to their right, out of their sight. He was just staring ahead with a look of absolute horror, even more so than when he had been cornered by the lion.

When they turned the corner, all they saw was Kaoru bent over the game. He was slamming the ground with his fists so hard they were starting to bleed, and he kept screaming about giving Hikaru back. Tamaki and Mori ran to his side and Tamaki grabbed Kaoru's arms. He struggled against Kaoru's flailing for a moment.

"What's going on? Kaoru—stop! You're hurting your—stop! What's going on?"

"It took him! The game took Hikaru! I NEED TO GET HIM BACK!"

Tamaki was so shocked he let go of Kaoru. He glanced at the game and took a step backward. "Kyoya? D-did that really happen?"

"I-I . . . h-h-he . . . Hikaru he . . ." All the black-haired boy could do was point at the game, for the first time in his life at a loss for words. Haruhi reached out and touched Kyoya's arm. He glanced down at her, his eyes wide and confused.

"It's okay, Kyoya-sempai," she said. Haruhi smiled and gave his arm a small squeeze.

"He's gone," Kaoru sobbed. The boy collapsed to his knees and buried his face into his hands. "He's gone, all gone . . . it's my fault . . . all gone . . . " For a moment nobody moved, all of them too shocked to think. Tamaki merely stared at the game while the others watched Kaoru break down. All of them wanted to comfort him, but none could move their legs. They couldn't do anything. They couldn't think.

Hikaru was gone.

Finally, Mori hobbled towards the game and read what was written in the middle aloud. " _In the jungle you must wait, until the dice read five or eight._ "

"S-so there's still a chance w-we can get Hika-chan back!" Honey said, as tears of his own flowed down his face.

Kaoru didn't hear him. He just kept repeating his mantra of . . . _he's gone . . . he's gone . . ._ With a cry, Honey ran towards Kaoru and hugged him. The boy didn't flinch, didn't move into the comforting gesture. He kept sobbing and chanting.

It was too much for Haruhi. She knew there was no way any of them could understand what it was like for Kaoru, but he needed to snap out of it fast. She left Kyoya and knelt in front of Kaoru. She lifted up his chin and forced him to look at her.

" . . . he's gone . . . Hikaru's—"

"Kaoru!" Haruhi's voice was firm but gentle.

"—ne, he's . . . H-Haruhi?"

She smiled, eyes glistening with her own tears. "It's all right, Kaoru. We'll do everything we can to get Hikaru back. I promise."

"Ar—are you . . . s-s-sure?"

Haruhi's throat constricted at Kaoru's expression. She was never one to be overly emotional, but Kaoru looked so lost and defeated she couldn't help but be moved. "Yeah—I'm sure." The redhead barely looked appeased. Haruhi threw her arms around Kaoru and hugged him tightly. For a moment the boy did nothing but kneel there with his arms hanging limply at his sides. Then his entire body started shaking and he clutched onto Haruhi for all he was worth.

Honey latched onto Kaoru's arm again, sobbing. Mori hobbled forward, only he kept a solemn stance beside the three on the ground. Kyoya took a step forward, stopped, and looked at Tamaki. The blonde was still staring at the game, looking like a lost statue.

"Let's continue the game," Kyoya said, his voice more subdued than any of them had ever heard. "The sooner we roll, the sooner Hikaru will be freed. I believe it's your roll, Honey-sempai."

The small senior sniffed and pulled away from Kaoru. He rubbed his wide eyes and nodded. "I'll get Hika-chan back, Kao-chan! I promise!"

Kaoru let out a laugh that was part sob. "T-thanks, Honey-sempai."

"We'll get him back," Haruhi said. She stood up and extended a hand towards Kaoru.

"Thanks," he mumbled. Mori walked forward and gently wiped Kaoru's face dry. He said nothing, merely brushed Kaoru's hair and squeezed his shoulder. The redhead smiled and embraced Mori, burying his face into the dirty white shirt.

As the others were helping Kaoru, Kyoya had walked to Tamaki's side. The blonde was still staring at the game. "Tamaki—we'll get him back," Kyoya said. " . . . Tamaki!" The dark-haired boy grabbed the Suoh heir's shirt with his good hand and _forced_ him to look at him. "You need to snap out of this! Stop! Stop blaming yourself and grow up."

"No—it's his fault!" Everyone stared at Kaoru in shock. Fresh tears poured down his face as he glared at Tamaki. "My brother's trapped in that game and it's all your fault!"

"Kaoru—" Mori began, his deep voice thick with warning.

"No!" He shoved Mori aside (nearly toppling the unbalanced senior) and marched up to Tamaki.

Kyoya grabbed Kaoru's shoulder. "You know that's not true. Stop before you say something you'll—"

"Leave me alone!" Kaoru pushed the second year away as well. He grabbed Tamaki's shirt and started shaking him. "It's all because you brought that _stupid_ game! Why do you keep dragging us into these stupid problems! Me and Mori almost got eaten by crocodiles! Kyoya's arm is bleeding, Honey nearly disappeared into the floor, and NOW MY BROTHER'S STUCK IN THE GAME! HE MIGHT BE KILLED ALREADY!

"EVERYTHING'S ALWAYS YOUR FAULT!"

"Stop it, Kaoru!" Kyoya said. "We know you're angry about Hikaru, but that doesn't give you a right to—"

"Don't deny it, Kyoya! You know I'm right!"

"The game _is_ stupid, but there's no way Tamaki could have known what would happen! You think he did it on purpose?"

"It doesn't change the fact that everything else we've done has—"

"Kaoru! Stop! Think about what you're saying! You—"

"Oh, shut up, Haruhi! We all know you're defending Tamaki because you're _secretly in love with him!_ "

" . . . I-I . . . what are you _talking_ about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! You can't tell me you haven't—"

"You guys! Let's stop fighting! Kao-chan, you're being—"

"Stop the innocent act, Honey! We know it's just—"

"Kaoru! You need to stop this! You're letting your emotions overcome your judgment like Hika—"

"Oh—like Hikaru, huh? Now that my brother's gone we're going to talk bad about him? HUH?!" Kaoru paused for a moment to catch his breath. He glared at everyone through his tears. Tamaki's eyes were downcast; Kyoya was standing in between the two of them, looking as if he were unsure whether or not to be angry at him; Haruhi was still in a state of shock; Honey was sobbing with Mori at his side, the tall senior unsure of what to do. Kaoru was furious at them all. None of them understood anything! Hikaru was _gone!_ Why couldn't they understand this? It was all Tamaki's fault!

"And why aren't you saying anything?" Kaoru yelled, pointing his finger at Tamaki. He walked up to him and grabbed his shirt once again. "You're not saying anything because _YOU KNOW I'M RIGHT!_ " Everyone waited for Tamaki to say something, all worried about where this could go.

Tamaki slowly lifted Kaoru's hands off of him, his face in shadow. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Kaoru's eyes widened, then he grit his teeth and wrenched out of Tamaki's grip. He knew his anger against Tamaki was unjustified, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His brother was gone—he needed _someone_ to blame! A person touched his shoulder and he glanced up sharply to find Mori there. The senior pulled him into a one-arm hug as he leaned on one of his crutches and Kaoru hugged him back, too tired to do much else.

The tears continued flowing but Kaoru didn't care. All he knew was that he felt so alone, so helpless. All he had been able to do was watch his brother be pulled into that game, towards horrific dangers that Kaoru believed they had barely scratched the surface of. It was trouble enough fighting these creatures that came out of the game with the seven of them, so there was no telling what it would be like for just Hikaru. More than anything, Kaoru wanted to be there alongside his brother; to suffer through the jungle together. They did everything together. That's just how it was.

While Mori comforted Kaoru, Kyoya and Haruhi went to Tamaki's side. They tried to comfort him, but he merely shook his head. "Roll, Honey-sempai."

"Oh, right!" Honey said. He rushed towards the game and slowly picked up the dice. "I'll get him back." The small senior took a deep breath, prayed to every cake and bunny god he had ever thought of, and rolled the dice. _. . . five or eight, please be a five or eight . . . five or eight . . ._

Two ones.

Kaoru's chest constricted painfully and he couldn't breathe. One more turn that Hikaru wouldn't be back with them. Who knew how long it would be until they were done battling whatever came out of the game? How much longer would Hikaru be left in the game? What if Kyoya or Tamaki weren't able to roll a five or eight and it got down to Hikaru's turn? Without him, there was no chance of him ever being freed! Hikaru would be stuck in the game for the rest of his life and Kaoru would be left alone without him! If that happened, Kaoru felt he would be unable to keep living. It would be better if he were—

"Kaoru!"

"He's hyperventilating!"

"Breathe, Kao-chan! Breathe!"

The redhead's vision was going hazy. Kaoru could only see splotches of flickering light. He could feel hands all over him, and then something roughly forced his head down to the point where he felt his entire body twist in on itself. "Take deep breaths," a calming voice said. Kaoru immediately obeyed the voice and started gulping in the air. Someone was rubbing circles in his back and soon enough, Kaoru found his sight returning.

His forehead was pressed against the ground and he was staring between his legs. With a final deep breath, Kaoru pushed himself up into a seated position and all the blood rushed from his head. All the other Host Club members let out a sigh of relief when he glanced at them. "Sorry," he said. He turned his head around to see Mori still rubbing circles into his back, and the senior smiled.

"I—"

" _AAHHHHHH!_ " They were all startled by a loud scream from Haruhi, which was immediately followed by a loud hissing sound. The ground shook and they glanced across the divide in the floor to see an enormous, jade python. It was nearly 20 feet in length with a mouth so wide it could devour them each in one swallow. Honey gulped and spared a second to read the center of the game.

" _When you see it, you will shake. It's big and green and rhymes with lake."_

None of them had time to move. The python reared its head back and struck. It missed and collided with the balcony above them, sending down an avalanche of concrete and debris. It was mayhem, but someone they were all able to come out relatively unharmed. Tamaki's cheek was bleeding, Haruhi was holding her shoulder gingerly, and Kyoya's glasses were cracked.

Honey rolled to the side and pushed himself up. Thanks to all his years of training he had been able to grab the game and dive to safety. He gave the game a glance over and let out a sigh of relief when he noticed it wasn't damaged. Hikaru was in there somewhere (he didn't really know how or why) and if something happened to the game there was no chance of them getting him back. Honey clutched the game tightly and whispered, "We'll get you back, Hika-chan. I promise."

He turned his attention back to the snake. It was so large that the crack made by the earthquake didn't phase it at all. The python was shaking its head to get rid of the leftover debris and searched for them once more. Honey frantically searched for Takashi and Kaoru from his hiding place. They were the only ones he didn't see come out of the rubble.

The doorway was blocked, having collapsed in on itself from the blast from the snake. Honey could see Tamaki, Kyoya, and Haruhi doing their best to clear away all the rubble so they could escape. It was their only way out with the rift in the floor and the snake blocking all their other exits. What could they do? Honey didn't know how they'd be able to get out of this, even if he and Takashi were in perfect health. Fighting plants, lions, and crocodiles were one thing—but an elephant-sized snake? Not likely.

Takashi's leg was ruined, and he himself was protecting Hikaru. Before, none of them put too much care in the game's well-being, but with one of their own stuck inside that was a different story. They couldn't let anything bad happen to it. But they couldn't let anything bad happen to themselves either! Especially with Kyoya and Tamaki having to roll next so they could free Hikaru.

Honey just didn't know what to do! He always did his best to be positive no matter what the situation, because he believed that if everyone tried their hardest they could accomplish anything. Now . . . he didn't know what to think. Was it really possible that they would die here? That couldn't happen!

The snake hissed again, nearly sounding like a roar. Honey watched in fear as it charged towards Haruhi and the others, and it was clear the snake wouldn't miss this time.

"NOOOOO!"

Just then, something whizzed towards the snake and it recoiled in pain. Blood and other fluids flew everywhere, some even reaching Honey despite him being ten feet away. He wiped the blood off his face and glanced at the writhing snake. Embedded in its left eye was one of Takashi's crutches!

"Takashi!" Honey turned towards the rubble and saw Takashi heavily leaning on his other crutch with Kaoru beside him. They were covered in dirt and bruises, but otherwise they looked all right. Sweat poured down their faces as they panted and Kaoru was acting as Takashi's other crutch. A big smile broke out on Honey's face. No matter what, his cousin would always protect them. It was good thinking on his part to use his crutch to hurt the snake.

It was a very dangerous situation though. Honey knew that wounded animals could be even more dangerous. If the snake kept thrashing like that, it would cause the roof to collapse in on them. But at the moment it was distracted, and Honey decided he should take the opportunity to reach the others.

"I've got the game!" he said as way of greeting.

"Oh, thank you!" Kaoru let out a sigh of relief as he helped Mori down to the ground. "I was afraid it was crushed."

"How about you hold onto it, Haru-chan?" Honey said, holding it out to the girl.

"Huh? Why me?"

"If you hold it, then I can work on getting rid of the big bad snakey!" he explained. "This way I don't have to worry about hurting Hika-chan."

"Let's just roll again!" Kaoru said. "Kyoya, it's your turn, right? We need to get Hikaru out of there!" The python hissed again and the second-year shook his head.

"I could, but then we might have to deal with two creatures. We might as well take care of this one before we get too busy. We don't know what will come through next." Kaoru struggled with a response then admitted defeat. As much as he hated it, Kyoya was right. No point in getting Hikaru back to them only to be killed by being overwhelmed by whatever came next.

"How can we fight it?" Haruhi asked. The python stopped writing and glared at them with its one good eye. It hissed and charged towards them again. Kyoya quickly moved Haruhi out of the way towards the pile of rubble, and Honey had an idea.

"I need this, Takashi!" He snatched the remaining crutch out of his cousin's hand and jumped in front of the snake. He felt bad for unbalancing Takashi without warning, but there was no time to apologize. Once the snake was defeated he would.

"Mitskuni!"

"Honey-sempai! Don't!" Kaoru and Tamaki were holding onto Mori so he wouldn't fall and they could only watch in horror as Honey charged towards the python. Just as the snake was about to strike, the blond leapt into the air. The python slammed its face into the ground and Honey landed on its head. With a yell and great flourish of the crutch, Honey stabbed the other eye. Blood and fluids erupted from the creature's eye and it sent Honey flying as it flailed once more.

"MITSKUNI!" Mori tried to run where Honey had fallen but Tamaki and Kaoru held him back.

"Mori-sempai! Just wait a minute! We have to—" Just then, the python's tail came whizzing towards them. Tamaki shoved Mori and Kaoru out of the way just as the tail struck him. The second year was thrown into the pile of rubble and his limp body rolled down until it hit the ground.

"Tamaki!" Haruhi made a move forward but Kyoya pushed her back into the corner with his good hand.

"You're protecting the game, remember! We can't risk you getting hit!"

"But Tamaki's hurt!"

"Kaoru's going to help him!" Kyoya didn't know what to do. Haruhi had tears running down her face beside him, Honey and Tamaki were most likely unconscious, Mori was now unable to walk, Kaoru was still injured from the crocodile attack, Hikaru was lost in the game, and he only had one good arm. How were they _ever_ going to win against the python? Or anything else that came out of the game for that matter? It was all just too much.

Half of him just wanted to give up then and there, but he knew there was something that had to be done. He couldn't lose confidence. With Tamaki out of commission he was the next appointed leader and he needed to make sure everyone would survive this. There just had to be a way.

As Mori crawled over to Honey's side, Kaoru made his way over to Tamaki. Now all the guilt at what he had said to Tamaki before came crashing down on him at the sight of his lifeless body.

"Boss! Boss, please—wake up! Wake up!" Kaoru turned the older boy on his back and shook his shoulders. "Tamaki, wake up!"

To Kaoru's relief, the blond groaned and started moving. He opened one eye and glanced up. "K-Kaoru?"

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to blame you!" Kaoru pounced on Tamaki, much to his dismay. "Oops! Sorry—I just, I'm so sorry for saying all those things! It's just that . . . with Hikaru gone I—I didn't mean . . . I'm so glad you're okay!"

Grateful tears sprung to Tamaki's eyes as he hugged the redhead back. "Thank you," he whispered. While Tamaki still harbored some guilt with Hikaru's disappearance, it was a great relief to know that Kaoru didn't blame him anymore. "Now let's figure out how to fight this snake!" They turned their attention to the python, still writhing in agony. It was buying them precious time, but for the life of them, none could think of a way to fight it.

"A-any ideas, guys?" Haruhi asked. The four of them stayed there, wracking their brains for a plausible solution. Just then, the python threw its head backwards and hit the balcony opposite the earthquake's divide. This time the balcony collapsed on top of the snake in one piece, and the python stopped moving. The Host Club members held their breath, hardly daring to hope. Could they really have been granted a sliver of luck? Of course, the fact that no one had died yet was hardly something to scoff at, but was this round over?

"Is it . . . dead?" Kaoru asked.

Kyoya shook his head. "Most likely it's unconscious. We should take advantage of this opportunity and just end the game now though. I believe it's my turn, yes?" As Haruhi started setting up the game, Kaoru helped Tamaki to his feet.

"Is Honey-sempai okay, Mori-sempai?" Tamaki asked, making his way over to them.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Tama-chan. I just hurt a lot." The small senior stood up and winced, but otherwise seemed fine. "Sorry we had to use your crutches, Takashi." Mori shook his head.

"It's fine."

Kaoru draped one of Mori's arms around his shoulder. "We'll help you walk until we can get you some new ones." Mori nodded and Tamaki rushed forward to help as well. The four of them then made their way over to Kyoya and Haruhi.

"There's something wrong with the game!" Kyoya said. "I keep rolling but it won't move my piece. I'm one of the original four who rolled, so it should let me!"

Honey gasped. "Do you think it's broken? How can we get Hika-chan back now?!"

"Wait guys! Look at this!" Haruhi said. She pointed to the instructions written on the side. " _Doubles get another turn_ —didn't you roll a double, Honey-sempai?"

"Oh yeah! I rolled two ones!" Kyoya shoved the dice into the third year's hands and Honey quickly rolled. A three . . . two—

"FIVE! It's a five! It's a five! It's a five!" Honey and Kaoru jumped into the air and the twin grabbed Honey into a tight hug. "Thank you so much, Honey-sempai!" Everyone glanced around, waiting for their friend's return.

"Where is he?!"

"Does he come out of the game like the way he went in?"

"Maybe we have to beat whatever comes— _ow!_ " Tamaki rubbed his shoulder and suddenly they were all assaulted by enormous balls of ice.

Honey glanced at the game and read aloud, " _Big as fists these balls of ice. Through umbrellas they will slice._ "

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Well," Tamaki said as he tried to doge another piece of hail, "hopefully this will end once we leave the room."

"But hail this size could kill you," Kyoya said. He cried out when he was unable to doge a piece of hail that fell on his injured shoulder. "We need to get out of here!" They all scrambled towards the blocked doorway and started clearing away the rubble.

"What about Hikaru?!" Kaoru yelled. He was the only one still standing by the game and he didn't even bother trying to shield himself from the hail. "Where is he? We rolled a five, so where is he? WHERE IS MY BROTHER?!"

"Maybe he's somewhere else in the school," Tamaki said. He bent down to rescue the game and tugged on Kaoru's arm. "Let's get out of here so we can start looking for him, okay?"

"But what if he's somewhere in here, and he got hit in the head with the hail?"

"We can figure that out later!" Kyoya yelled. "We need to get out of here first! The hail might wake up the snake, so we should get away as soon as possible!" A piece of hail hit him directly on the head and he staggered backward, clutching his head.

"Kyoya!"

"This is taking too long! Everyone stand back!" They all did as they were told and Honey jumped into the air. "USA-CHAN KICK!" The rubble was cleared away in seconds, with it all scattered and gathered among the many vines crisscrossing the floor.

"Great job, Honey-sempai!"

"I haven't really noticed until now, but where is Usa-chan?" Haruhi asked in a whisper, leaning in towards Mori.

The senior looked at Honey sadly. "It got lost during the monsoon." The young girl glanced at Honey in pity. It had to be hard for him, but hopefully he was preoccupied enough that he didn't notice it all that much.

"Let's get out of here!" None of them needed telling twice. They all rushed into the safe hallway and to their relief the hailstorm didn't follow them. By now they were all sporting bruises that were likely to be very painful in an hour or so. Kyoya was still dizzy and needed help walking in a straight line.

"Maybe you should lie down," Haruhi suggested as she held the boy's arms.

"Once we find a place to play in," Kyoya said.

"But what about searching for Hikaru?" Kaoru asked. "We need to—" Just then, they all noticed a huddled figure near a particularly large vine. His hands were covering his ears and he was shaking. His jacket and white shirt were all gone. It was Hikaru.

"HIKARU!" They all rushed forward and Kaoru pounced on him. "I'm so happy you're back!" he sobbed.

"Get away from me!" Hikaru shrieked. He shoved Kaoru away and backed away from everyone. His eyes were wild and he twitched at every sound. It was then that they noticed the tiny oval welts all over Hikaru's body. There were also twigs in his hair and he looked drenched.

Kaoru tried to dry his tears and took a tentative step forward. "Hikaru? Are you okay?" He held out a hand but Hikaru slapped it away and pressed up against the wall with his legs pulled up to his chest. He whimpered and started pulling his hair.

"It's just an illusion—just an illusion," he muttered. "Just another trick . . . they're not really there . . . not really there . . . " As Kaoru stared at his brother in disbelief, the other Host Club members exchanged a glance. They hadn't ever given any thought as to what Hikaru's mental state would be. Was it really that bad?

But Kaoru was not going to stand for this. He clenched his fists and knelt down in front of his brother. "H-Hikaru? It's all right. We're really here. I promise . . . so please—please talk to me!" He reached out and gingerly touched Hikaru's knee. The redhead's entire body froze at the contact, but after a few moments he slowly lifted his head.

"Kaoru? Is that—re-really you?"

The twin let out a happy sob and wiped his eyes. "Of course it is, you dummy." Tears started flowing down Hikaru's dirty face.

"Oh, Kaoru!" They both wrapped their arms around each other and cried. "I thought I was going to be stuck in that game forever," Hikaru whispered. Kaoru grip tightened and he shook his head.

"There was no way I'd let that happen. I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm sure that many of you who watched the movie or just read this story are wondering why there were two rhymes for Hikaru. This is because normally, the game would have turned him into a monkey, but with that roll (if he hadn't cheated) he would have been sucked into the game anyway, so the game figured that was a good enough punishment for him. And it had to put out that second rhyme so they would know how to get him back. Make sense? :) If not, feel free to ask.
> 
> The snake and hail rhymes come from the Milton Bradley game. The cheating one is mine.


	6. The End of the Nightmare

" _STOP! STOP IT! HIKARU, STOP!_

He felt numb, and was only vaguely aware that his entire body was stretched at an impossible length. All he knew was that he was afraid. Terrified.

Hikaru saw the center of the game swirling towards him and then he saw darkness. Complete and utter darkness. Just when he felt he couldn't take it anymore, he found himself immersed in water. Panicked, Hikaru swam towards the surface. Once he broke free he tread water for a moment, gasping for breath. His dazed brain couldn't make out where he was exactly, but he knew he had to get out of the water. Memories of the crocodiles plagued him as he rushed towards the shore.

Once he was standing firmly on the ground, Hikaru spared a moment to glance at his surroundings. It was a jungle and not like the kinds they showed in movies. It just felt so . . . alive. Everything was a deep green or brown. The air was humid and filled with many noises; some he could identify, and some he couldn't. For a moment Hikaru felt peaceful. Despite the eminent danger he was in, Hikaru couldn't deny the beauty of the place. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. In fact, everything would be just perfect were it not for the annoying pinching all over his body. It was as if—

Hikaru froze, then glanced down. He nearly passed out.

He was covered in leeches. Big ones.

They covered his body like a disease, pulsating together in an odd rhythm as they drank his blood, growing bigger every second. Hikaru went crazy; screaming like mad as he tore them off his body. His hands moved in an erratic blur—he couldn't get them off fast enough! Some of the fuller leeches popped from the rough treatment, but Hikaru didn't notice. His brain had temporarily shut down from the shock and he barely remembered to breathe.

Finally after what seemed like ages, Hikaru had succeeded in tearing every last leech off. He scrambled away from the flung bodies and backed up against a far tree trunk. Hikaru took deep, shuddering breathes as he clutched his chest. In his haste, he had torn off his shirt and jacket. They lay in a soggy heap close to the swamp's edge but Hikaru didn't dare go near it.

It took him a while to calm his beating heart. As a distraction, Hikaru's thoughts turned to Kaoru. How was he doing? Hikaru squirmed in guilt as he recalled Kaoru's stricken face. It hurt him to think that he had caused his brother to feel that way. Why didn't he listen to Kaoru in the first place? Why did he have to cheat? But in his defense, the trouble the game was causing was getting a little too much for him to bear. Everyone was in such bad shape that he didn't want them to suffer anymore. It felt like it was only a matter of time until someone was fatally wounded. The game said something about all the creatures returning to the game once it was finished, but that didn't necessarily mean all the damages and injuries suffered would be magically healed, and Hikaru didn't want to take that bet.

But what could he do? Would he be stuck inside the game forever? Could the others roll to bring him back, would the game free him when it was over, or would he never get out? Hikaru shivered and decided he didn't really want to think about that now. The most important thing for him would be to find a safe hiding place. Aside from the leeches, he really hadn't seen anything dangerous, but if what he had seen back at Ouran was anything to go by, he wouldn't be safe for long.

Right at that moment, there was a rustling off to Hikaru's left. He froze, knowing he should flee but he was just too scared. It was then that he realized just how alone he was and he knew the chances of him surviving by himself were very low. But he had to try—Kaoru would never forgive him if he just quit now! Suddenly, a man burst through the foliage and came into view.

Hikaru yelped and scrambled backwards. He wanted to run, but the man was pointing a rather nasty looking gun at him. If he wasn't so scared, then Hikaru would actually find the scene rather funny. The man was dressed in a similar outfit to the one Tamaki had been wearing, though it definitely suited this man more. Hikaru could tell he really lived (or at least hunted) in the jungle. The funny thing was that instead of a rifle, the man appeared to be holding some sort of automatic machine gun. It was like a horrible, frightening clash of history.

He wanted to ask the man if he was stuck in the game as well or if he lived here, but somehow his voice had deserted him. His throat was dry and little beads of sweat rolled down his face. With one pull of the trigger the man could turn him into a human-sized slice of Swiss Cheese.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, until the man slightly lowered his weapon and spoke. " _Comment avez-vous reçu ici petit garçon? Avez-vous joué au jeu?_ "

The twin frowned in contemplation. It sounded like the guy was speaking French—maybe that's why the boss found it among French antiques? But why would the instructions be written in English? And anyway, Hikaru didn't know any French so this was going to be a problem.

"Eh . . . sorry but I don't speak that. Co-could you please put the gun down?"

" _Ah, je vois que nous avons déplacé l'endroit. Que parlez-vous, l'asiatique?"_ The man completely lowered the weapon and stroked his dirty, gray beard. _"Voyons, est cela le Coréen . . . ou le chinois? Ah! C'est le japonais!_ " The man cleared his throat.

"What are you doing here, boy?"

Hikaru stared in awe at the man. He spoke fluent Japanese! _He must be just like Tamaki_ , he thought. "Um . . . I was playing a game and I . . . "

"Ah, yes. Well, it sure has been a long time since someone has been brought here. I believe the last time was the little Alan boy. I wonder how long you'll be here. What's your name?"

"Hikaru."

"Nice to meet you, Hikaru. My name is Van Pelt."

Hikaru eyed the old man warily, confused as to why he hadn't abandoned the gun yet. Perhaps it was for their protection, seeing as how it was likely an animal could pop out any moment, but he couldn't help but feel unease around Van Pelt. Aside from the misunderstanding he seemed like a harmless old man, but Hikaru couldn't be too sure. Well, he might as well get some answers.

"Can I ever go back home? Are you stuck here too? Are there other people here? Did that Alan kid die and how long was he here?"

Van Pelt chuckled and leaned against a tree. "So full of questions, aren't you, Hikaru? Yes, you can go home, and no there aren't any other people here besides those infernal savage men. Alan Parish did not die—at least not here—and he was stuck in the game for twenty-six years."

Hikaru felt all the color drain from his face. _Twenty-six years?_ How in the world could he have survived?

"And as for myself—" (Van Pelt chuckled and leaned forward) "—I'm part of the game. It's my job to hunt you down and make a man out of you." He pat his gun and took a few steps back from Hikaru. "Since you're new, I guess I can give you a two-minute head start."

Silence passed between them as Hikaru stared up at Van Pelt in a mixture of disbelief and horror. He couldn't be telling the truth, could he?

"You've got to be joking."

Van Pelt shook his head. "I'd start running if I were you. You've already lost thirty seconds." When Hikaru made no further movement Van Pelt cocked his gun and pointed it at him. "Move! You've got to make this at least enjoyable for me—I haven't had a decent challenge in years!"

Hardly believing this was actually happening, Hikaru leapt to his feet and took off in the opposite direction. It was then that he remembered he had no shoes and his feet hurt with each twig he snapped. Perfect. And his shirt was lying in a heap back with that crazy man, so he was reduced to wet, soggy black pants. He cursed his luck. How was it that the only other civilized human in this jungle was out to get him? And with a machine gun no less. He'd be dead in minutes.

Perhaps he could set a trap for him to slow him down? No—everything that came to mind was what he saw from movies and there definitely wasn't enough time to set any of them up. Plus he didn't have any of the proper supplies either. He could come up with a trap on his own though! Actually, that wouldn't work either. Without Kaoru around, Hikaru found his prankish imagination greatly hampered. They _always_ did that stuff together.

Hikaru took a sharp left and nearly skewered himself on a tree branch. He ducked underneath it and continued on. Well, Kaoru wasn't here so he'd have to do it on his own. The thought terrified him, but it had to be done. It was almost funny how crippled he was without his brother. He felt like he was missing a limb or something. Having Kaoru at his side was as normal as breathing, and just thinking about never seeing him again squeezed his chest and made it difficult to breathe—

No! Hikaru shook his head. He had to get a grip on himself and focus on surviving the crazy man. Then he could relax. No sense in getting worked up over something he couldn't control. Breaking down would do nothing to help him at the moment. Now, what to do? Ah! Hikaru spotted the perfect spot up ahead. Time to put his plan to work.

* * *

A few minutes later, Hikaru spotted him. It was scary how quickly the man had caught up to him. Thankfully he was able to put his trap together in time, and he prayed that it would work. Just enough to slow him down so Hikaru could find a safe place to hide until he was rescued.

Van Pelt moved in a brisk jog, pausing every couple moments to inspect the ground or the trees, or even sniff the air. Could he really _smell_ him? Hikaru couldn't help but be a little offended.

He was moving into position and . . . now! Hikaru yanked on the vine and Van Pelt glanced upwards as a number of objects started falling from the sky. Hikaru had climbed the trees and rigged a little hammock full of rocks and coconuts. When he pulled the vine they would all come crashing down and with any luck the man would be knocked out. Not the best plan, but at least it was something. Hikaru would much rather prefer a gaping hole, but there wasn't enough time to dig one (not that he had anything to dig it with anyway), and he wasn't exactly sure how he'd cover it up.

To his dismay, Van Pelt cocked his gun at the falling debris and blasted the objects either out of the way or into little pieces. He seemed undeterred by the coconut juice falling on him and instead looked straight at Hikaru. How did he _do_ that?

Van Pelt laughed. "Nice try, Sonny-Jim. Something like that won't work on me. I suppose you get credit for trying though. The Alan boy spent the first month running around and whimpering like an idiot. Your will is inspiring!" He fired a single shot just inches above Hikaru's head. "But you need to do better than that."

Hikaru swore under his breath and took off running again. He was obviously fighting a master hunter. What chance did he have? At least he hadn't run into any animals yet. What was that up ahead? It looked like some sort of green fog. Certainly ominous, but it would make for a great hiding spot. Van Pelt would most likely follow him in there, but Hikaru could at least have more time to think of a plan. He sniffed the air and figured as long as the mist didn't smell bad, there was a good chance it was safe. He spared one last glance behind him and charged through the mist, hoping he wasn't about to make the biggest mistake of his life.

While following the boy, Van Pelt caught a glimpse of him before he disappeared into the mist. The hunter chuckled. This boy was certainly an interesting one. He adjusted his grip on his weapon and walked towards the mist.

Time to see what plagued the newest addition to the game.

* * *

It wasn't as dark as he thought. The green mist certainly obscured his vision, but if he squinted he was able to see a few feet in front of himself. As he walked through the mist, Hikaru considered his options. Should he hide until Van Pelt had passed him by, or stay here for a few hours—or days, depending on how long it took for the others to rescue him. Suddenly, he heard the unmistakable crunching of feet through the jungle. Hikaru buried himself in a nearby bush and held his breath. It wouldn't surprise him if Van Pelt were able to hear his breathing.

"Hikaru! Where are you?"

His chest constricted at the familiar voice. Kaoru? No—that wasn't possible! Kaoru was back at Ouran with the others! Unless he found a way into the game as well and was going to take him back—

"There you are! Guys, I found him!" Hikaru jumped out of the bush and was startled to see his brother come running towards him with tears in his eyes. He barely had time to react when Kaoru tackled him and started sobbing.

"I can't believe we found you! I've been so worried!" Kaoru cried. "I thought I lost you forever!"

Still doubtful, Hikaru pushed Kaoru off of himself and examined him. Chest bandages, dirty hair, ripped pants—certainly looked like Kaoru. Every part of Hikaru wanted to believe that it was really Kaoru, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it! It just didn't make any _sense!_

"Hikaru? What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Seeing Kaoru's hurt expression was too much for Hikaru. It had to be his brother! There was no doubt about that. And besides, Hikaru could _feel_ Kaoru's shoulders, why wouldn't he be real?

"I'm sorry, Kaoru," he said quickly, pulling his twin into a hug. "I couldn't believe it. I was so worried—"

"Shhh. It's okay."

"I'm so happy you're okay, Hika-chan!"

"You gave us quite a startle there."

Hikaru and Kaoru broke apart, and tears fell down Hikaru's face as he saw all his friends come into view. He never thought he'd seen anything so wonderful in his life before! Here were all his friends, smiling and keeping him company. As long as he had them by his side he knew he was safe.

Or perhaps not.

Suddenly, Mori was behind him and pulled his arms back roughly, effectively immobilizing him. "M-Mori-sempai? What's going on? What about your le—" The words died in Hikaru's throat as he glanced up at the senior. Instead of the detached look that Mori always wore, there was a murderous and frightening face that stared down at him. It was like a crazed animal was possessing Mori.

"Did you _really_ think we'd come all this way for you?" Hikaru froze. He had no idea his brother could sound so twisted and evil. "You mean nothing to us!"

"You're only allowed in the group for the brotherly love package," Kyoya said. He pushed up his glasses and sneered. "It was the only logical choice to achieve such a profit."

Haruhi stepped forward and pulled on Hikaru's ear to bring him eye level with her. She spared a moment to glance at his terrified expression and smirked. "The only reason any of us can tolerate you is because you're always with Kaoru. Don't you remember me saying so before? Without Kaoru around you're nothing but a conniving, worthless, and pathetic excuse for a human being. I just can't _stand_ being alone with you!"

"B-b-but what about . . . our date?" Hikaru asked. He was starting to feel rather woozy. There was a part of his brain screaming that there was no way this could ever be real, but a larger part kept doubting. Everything they were saying was just what he had always feared. He knew that he could be hard to deal with sometimes, but he had always thought that didn't matter—or at least he hoped.

Haruhi laughed cruelly. "You call that a date?" She grabbed his hair and yanked on it until their noses were touching. "You left me in a thunderstorm! Whether you knew I was afraid of thunder or not, that's not the way you treat a person! You don't care about anyone!"

"I-I . . . I thought you f-forgave me?" Hikaru squeaked.

"Yeah right," Haruhi scoffed. She let go of Hikaru and pushed him back into Mori. "I just said that because I didn't want to have to listen to your stupid attempts at an apology of how sorry you were. At least you had the sense to shut up after that."

Honey stepped forward, looking very much like his evil side, the side that Hikaru had only seen when Usa-chan was covered in tea. A face he never wanted to see again. "You've caused us a lot of trouble, Hikaru."

"It was truly difficult to put up with one such as yourself. Not all humans are as gifted as me. But now our wonderful patience has run short and we shall be glad to be rid of you." It amazed Hikaru how Tamaki could act as obnoxious as he usually did but still manage to sound so evil and bitter.

"Then why do you put up with me then? Huh?" There just _had_ to be a better reason! They wouldn't do all of this for no reason, would they?

Kaoru chuckled and grabbed Hikaru's chin, forcing him to look up at him. "Simple." All the others leaned in with cruel smiles.

"You're our toy."

* * *

" . . . then I just appeared back in the school and I thought I was still in the illusion," Hikaru finished. The seven of them had taken refuge in one of the many classrooms. They had all silently agreed it would be the best place for Hikaru to tell his story. He hadn't told them the exact details of what the illusions said or did—they didn't need to know the specifics. And now that he was truly among his friends, Hikaru knew that his fears were foolish and without any substance. They truly cared about him.

Tamaki had immediately started blubbering like a fool when he arrived, but it didn't bother Hikaru this time. He felt rather touched. Both Honey and Haruhi had cried as well, though they were more subdued than the boss. Kyoya had slumped against the wall with obvious relief, though he pretended to pass it off as exhaustion. Then Mori had enveloped him with the tightest hug Hikaru had ever experienced. And since he was the only one to notice the slight shake in Mori's grip he chose to pretend it wasn't there.

Now he was sitting at a desk with Kaoru. His younger twin had his arms wrapped around him like he never wanted to let go. Occasionally there would be a tear that would trail down his cheek, but Hikaru said nothing. All he cared about was that he and his brother were reunited, along with all his dear friends.

"I'm so sorry, Hika-chan!" Honey wailed. "That must have been really scary! I hope our illusions didn't say anything mean to you!"

Hikaru chuckled. "Don't worry, Honey-sempai—I knew it wasn't real."

"I hate to ruin the heart-warming reunion," Kyoya began, "but there are much bigger problems at hand." He pushed up his glasses and spared a moment to glance at each person to make sure he had their undivided attention. "We can end this game now; the sooner we finish the sooner things go back to normal."

"You got it! All right, men—you heard what Mommy said! Let's finish the game!"

"How many times must I—never mind. I believe it's your roll, Tamaki."

The blond gulped. "Y-yeah . . . I guess it is."

"Here's the game, Tama-chan." Honey carefully placed the game on the desk closest to Tamaki and stepped back. The second-year slowly picked up the dice and stared at them. They lay so innocently in his scratched and dirty hand. Odd to think that everything hinged on such small items.

"You only have six spaces left," Kyoya said gently. Tamaki nodded mutely and glanced at everyone. The twins were sharing a seat in the desk across from him, Haruhi was standing next to Kyoya's desk, and Honey sat in Mori's lap. They all looked at him expectantly, with no anger or blame in their eyes.

Tamaki felt a small rush of gratitude and affection for his friends. They really didn't blame him for everything that happened, and for that he was pleased. Of course he still harbored some guilt, but that came with being the Father. And now it was his job to save them from all this suffering.

"H-Here goes." He closed his eyes and let go of the dice. Everyone held their breath as they watched the dice roll around on the board. Each of them prayed for a miracle, but they knew better than to completely let their hopes up. They still couldn't help wondering though. Would this be the final roll?

A three . . . and a one.

Tamaki wilted at the sight, but before he could say anything there was a loud outburst from Kyoya. He kicked his leg out and toppled the desks next to him as he gripped the edge of his own desk with his good arm. No one acknowledged his brief display of emotion, knowing full well none of them could blame him. They were just so tired of the game.

" _Beware the ground on which you stand, the floor is quicker than the sand_."

"Tamaki!" He had tried to back in time, he really did—but he was immersed in the floor in an instant. Tamaki watched in horror as the desk started sinking along with him. He tried to yank his feet out, but was forced to admit defeat.

The moment the floor started sinking all the others backed away as fast as they could, knocking over desks and chairs. The only thing they had going for them was that the entire floor wasn't sinking—just the area around Tamaki.

"Get the game!" Tamaki shouted, being careful not to make any sudden movements. Hikaru quickly snatched the game off the sinking desk and backed up.

"Don't worry! We'll get you out, boss!" Hikaru turned around and shoved the game into Haruhi's hands. "Take it!" She accepted it without question and the twins ran to Tamaki's aid. They came as close as they dared and tried to pull him out.

"It's not working!" Tamaki yelled.

"I'll help you guys!" Honey said. "Stay there, Takashi." He wriggled himself out from underneath the desks. As soon as the floor started sinking, Takashi had grabbed him and awkwardly dive bombed away. Honey knew that were it not for his leg, Takashi would have been able to avoid the desks altogether, but didn't matter. What was important was that they needed to free Tamaki _now!_

Haruhi knew she needed to bring the game over to the sprawled Kyoya, but something made her turn around. She watched as Honey kicked the locked cabinet door to look at the materials inside. He was so preoccupied with going back to Tamaki that he didn't notice the strangely beautiful purple flower. It looked to her like it was peeking around the top of the large cabinet and was—staring?—directly at Honey.

For whatever reason, Haruhi knew the flower was dangerous. Before she knew it, she dropped the game and rushed to Honey's side. She grabbed the tiny senior's shirt and pulled him back. The two of them crashed to the floor as something pricked her shoulder.

"Haru-chan, what's—Haru-chan!"

Haruhi pushed herself up sluggishly and glanced at her arm. There was some type of needle poking out. Oh wait, it was moving—maybe a snake? She really couldn't tell with everything being so fuzzy and shimmery. Perhaps she could just . . . rest for a while . . . yeah, that sounded . . . good . . .

"Haru-chan! Don't go to sleep!" Honey roughly shook the girl but she didn't respond. "Takashi! Haru-chan's having a hard time brea—" He was interrupted by a sharp prick in the back of his neck. Dazed, Honey reached behind him and pulled out a similar needle.

"Mitskuni!" Mori watched in horror as his cousin collapsed on the ground next to Haruhi. He growled at the offending plant and hefted a chair at its main vine that was trailing down the wall. The chair bruised it and the emerging, purple flowers all shuddered before wilting.

In an almost crazed fervor, Mori crawled towards Mitskuni and Haruhi. He quickly pulled them into his lap and felt for a pulse.

* * *

Kyoya groaned. As soon as Tamaki finished reading the clue—or whatever it was—Haruhi pulled on his good arm and sent the two of them toppling backwards. His head hit the floor rather painfully and he could have sworn he saw stars. He thought that only happened in the movies.

He could hear some indistinct yelling and rubbed his head. While her intentions may have been good, Haruhi should have known the dangers of jostling him around like that. He still wasn't fully recovered from the hail that had fallen on his head from earlier. Most likely he had a concussion. He paused as he touched something wet and sticky.

Yeah—definitely a concussion. That would explain the blood and massive headache. Not to mention the swimming images and inability to hear correctly. Kyoya sat up and willed himself to see straight. He'd be no help if he passed out, especially in his condition.

Something hit his leg and Kyoya slowly glanced down. One of the dice? Why was it on the floor? He frowned and focused his attention to what was happening before him—and almost wished he didn't. At that moment, he saw a purple flower shoot something at Honey's head. The blond crumpled to the ground and Mori was scrambling towards them.

Haruhi? What was she—oh, there was a needle in her arm as well. Kyoya watched as Mori yanked the needle out and pulled her and Honey into his lap like one would do with sleeping children. Except they weren't sleeping. Or breathing for that matter.

Kyoya stared in mute shock and then Mori's eyes glanced up to meet his. Kyoya's eyes asked the question he could not, and Mori bowed his head. The senior's entire frame started trembling and strangled sobs made their way to Kyoya's muddled ears.

No, it—it couldn't be! They . . . they couldn't be dead! That wasn't possible! But try as he did to deny it, there was no mistake by the way Mori was acting. To distract himself, Kyoya glanced over to see how the others were faring.

Not that well, apparently. The twins were trying to pull Tamaki out of the sinking floor, using a heavy cabinet for support. Hikaru was holding onto the cabinet and his brother, while Kaoru held onto Tamaki. For a moment, it appeared that they had succeeded, with Tamaki's torso pulled free from the ground, but then the hope was dashed as Hikaru lost his grip. The twins plunged into the sinking floor along with Tamaki.

"ROLL THE DICE, KYOYA!" Tamaki roared. Only his head was visible now.

Kyoya didn't know what to do. It felt like all logic and thinking had failed him. Honey and Haruhi were dead, he had no idea of Mori's mental state, the twins were flailing around in the ground with their heads already covered, Tamaki was almost gone, and Kyoya was using all his strength just to stay conscious.

"NOW, KYOYA!"

His friend's shriek jolted him out of his stupor and Kyoya scrambled to pick up the other dice. He wasted no time and impatiently waited for the dice to finish rolling. All he had were five more spaces . . . five more spaces and this would all be over.

A wilted purple flower slowly raised its petals off the ground and faced him. Kyoya didn't dare move, but when he heard his piece sliding across the game, he glanced down.

There, at the very center where all the phrases kept appearing—was his alligator game piece and the word _Jumanji_.

" **JUMANJI!** "

* * *

For a moment, Kyoya wondered if the world exploded. Then he watched in fascination as the flower suddenly rushed towards the game in the same manner as Hikaru. There was a loud crash behind him, and Kyoya realized that everything that had come out of the game was now returning. Worried about getting hit, Kyoya pressed himself against the floor and covered his head.

The tornado howled and nearly blew him away. After a while, Kyoya wondered if it would ever stop. His tolerance and nerves had nearly left him, and he didn't think he could take it any longer. Suddenly—it stopped.

Kyoya heard the gentle sound of a bird off in the distance and felt something warm wash over him. Figuring it was safe to do so, Kyoya slowly opened his eyes.

To his utter amazement, he found himself back in Music Room 3. Not only that, but his clothes were returned and he could move his arm. Kyoya tentatively touched his head, and was thrilled to see there was no more blood.

He heard moans off to his left and glanced to them sharply. There they were! His eyes started burning and Kyoya didn't know if he had ever felt this happy before.

"T-Takashi?" Mori's breath hitched at the sound of Mitskuni's voice. He had to be imagining things, right? His cousin had been dead not mere seconds before. There was no way—

"Takashi, what's wrong?" There was no denying it—either he was driven mad or Mitskuni was really speaking to him. Afraid of what he'd see, Mori carefully lifted his head and opened his eyes.

To his shock, he was greeted by Mitskuni's wide smile. "Sorry about scaring you like that, Takashi," he said sheepishly.

"M-Mori-sempai? Huh?" Mori then turned his attention to the girl in his lap. She was looking at him with a dazed expression on her face. "What happened?" she managed to ask.

One minute she had been staring at the needle in her arm, feeling really tired, and the next she woke up in Mori's lap and—wait, had he been crying? Mori just let out a sob and pulled her and Honey into a bone-crushing hug as she struggled to piece together what had happened.

She let out a small gasp as everything came back to her, as well as the realization of what must have happened to make Mori act like that. Was it really true? Had she— _died?_

Meanwhile, Tamaki was having a hard time clearing his thoughts as well. What were the twins doing in his lap? Before he could answer that question, someone suddenly appeared at his side. "Kyoya? What—" His friend interrupted him with a big hug, something so out of character for Kyoya that Tamaki felt he would die of shock. Then he remembered what had happened. He wrapped himself around Kyoya as well and was unable to keep a few tears from spilling out.

The twins lay on the ground gasping for air. They knew something important had happened, but at the moment they were trying to get badly needed oxygen to their brain. Once they could breathe normally they pushed themselves into an unsteady kneeling position and glanced around.

Tamaki and Kyoya were hugging each other beside them, and the others were doing the same on their other side. The twins gasped as they noticed their clothes were returned to their proper condition, and that everything was exactly the way it had been the moment they started the game.

"Kaoru—"

"—Hikaru!" The two embraced as they both cried happily.

It was over.

* * *

Somehow—none of them quite knew how—but they all had gathered together in a circle. They all exchanged hugs and laughed and cried. None of them could believe that it was over. With all the injuries gone and the afternoon sun at their backs, they couldn't help but feel everything was just a bad dream. One look at the discarded game told them otherwise though.

They reached an unspoken agreement that tonight would be spent at Tamaki's house. Everyone informed their parents and piled into Tamaki's limo. It was eerie how they could act like nothing had happened, to make their parents believe that all they wanted was to hang out and watch movies together. Like life was normal.

Once they arrived at Tamaki's house, they made sure to burn the game. It made a horrifying, screeching sound, but it was unable to withstand the bonfire. Or the smashing and stomping. Or Mori slicing through it with a sword. The game was reduced to a pile of rubble. And just to be on the safe side, they separated it into three different piles, all thrown into three different trash receptacles. They didn't want to take any chances.

With the stars gleaming in the sky a few hours later, they all piled into bed. Tamaki had requested a spare bed brought in, and the seven of them sprawled out on both of them. (Each were King-sized, naturally) At first a separate bed was offered to Haruhi, but she turned it down and insisted she be with them. None of them were all that surprised, and promised not to let her father know (Tamaki especially).

And so that night, they all took comfort in each other's presence, knowing that no matter what, they'd always be together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's the end of the adventure! Hope you all enjoyed it.


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